Citation

Soderstrom CA, Dischinger PC, Ho SM, Soderstrom MT. Accid. Anal. Prev. 1993; 25(6): 711-716.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, Baltimore 21201-1595.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8297438

Abstract

Alcohol use, driving records, crash culpability, and crash conviction rates for 165 injured motorcycle drivers (MTCDs) were studied. Of the 165 MTCDs, 53.3% tested positive for alcohol (BAC+). Culpability determinations (n = 150) revealed that 83% of BAC+ and 46% of BAC-MTCDs caused their crashes (p < 0.001). Driving records (n = 145) revealed the following prevalence of one or more convictions for BAC+ and BAC-MTCDs: impaired driving (29% vs. 7%, p < 0.001); speeding (74% vs. 58%, p < 0.05); and reckless driving (68% vs. 44%, p < 0.002). Of the surviving culpable impaired MCTDs (n = 48), 16.7% received crash-related convictions, 12.5% received alcohol-related convictions. The reasons for the low conviction rates are probably multifactorial.