Citation

Maistros AR, Holik WA, Schneider IV WH, Savolainen PE. Traffic Injury Prev. 2016; 17(7): 668-675.

Affiliation

Department of Civil , Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University 482A Town Engr Ames , IA 50011-3232   pts@iastate.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15389588.2016.1161184

PMID

27064592

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Driving under the influence of alcohol is a crime that places the lives of all motorists in danger. Though it is a largely preventable act, the impaired driving has accounted for 31% to 38% of fatal crashes across the country over the last decade. When an impaired operator crashes his or her vehicle, there is often a second unit, of which the operator is not impaired, involved in the crash.

METHODS This research looks at approximately 14,000 two-unit crashes involving an impaired operator in the State of Ohio from 2008 through 2012. The research is focused on determining the effects of crash and operator characteristics in two unit alcohol related crashes through the use of two mixed logit models.

RESULTS It is found that several factors have similar effects on the injury severities of both the impaired and non-impaired operators including head-on crashes, the use of seat belts, and the deployment of airbags. There are, however, several factors that affect the two operators differently. It is found that the impaired operator's injury severity is based on the type, and more importantly the size of the vehicle they are driving, the roadway geometry, and the speed of the vehicle driven by the non-impaired operator. The non-impaired operator is equally affected by the speed of impaired vehicle as much as their own speed, and the non-impaired operator's injury severity is virtually independent of the type of vehicle being driven.

CONCLUSIONS The researchers may disseminate the results to community groups such as Mothers against Drunk Driving and Safe Communities, to increase awareness of the dangers of drunk driving in an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related crashes.

Language: en