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Southern California Research Institute |
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SCRI |
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Alcohol Impairment |
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Blomberg, R., Moskowitz, H., Burns, M., Peck, R. & Fiorentino, D. (2005). Crash Risk of Alcohol Impaired Driving.
A case-control study was conducted in Long Beach, CA and Fort Lauderdale, FL to examine the relative crash risk associated with drivers’ blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). Data were obtained for drivers involved in 2,871 crashes of all severities. Two control drivers for each crash driver were sampled a week after the crash at the same location, on the same day of the week and at the same time of day. For both groups of drivers, a research team recorded observations, administered a brief questionnaire and obtained breath specimens for BAC measurements. Of the 14,985 sampled drivers who were potentially available for testing, 91.7% of crash drivers and 97.9% of control drivers provided breath specimens. When drivers who fled the crash scene are included in the number of potentially available drivers, the percentage that provided a breath specimen reduced to 81.3%. Relative risk models were generated with logistic regression techniques with and without covariates such as driver age, gender, marital status and ethnicity. The models without adjustment for the covariates show elevated relative risk beginning at 0.05 – 0.06% BACs with an accelerating increase in risk at BACs greater than 0.10%. With adjustment for covariates and bias due to missing data (nontested hit-and-run drivers, refusals, and incomplete responses), risk was elevated at a slightly lower BAC and the risk curve was steep. Statistically significant risk occurred at 0.04% BAC and small, non-significant elevations occurred at BACs closer to zero. Relative risk models were also produced for age groups and alcohol consumption levels.
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Moskowitz, H. A., Burns, M. M., Fiorentino, D., Smiley, A., & Zador, P. (2000, August). Driver characteristics and impairment at various BACs (Report no. DOT HS 809 075). Washington, DC: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The purpose of this experiment was to determine a) the magnitude of alcohol impairment of driving skills as BACs varied from zero to 0.10% and b) whether age, gender, and drinking practice characteristics of the subjects would differentially affect alcohol impairment in a sample of subjects who were broadly representative of the driving population. Using a driving simulator and a divided attention task, 168 subjects were examined at BACs to 0.10% for moderate and heavy drinkers and to 0.08% for light drinkers. Alcohol significantly impaired performance on some measures at all examined BACs from 0.02% to 0.10%. The magnitude of the impairment increased with increasing BAC. Differences in the magnitude of alcohol impairment between categories of age, gender, and drinking practices were small, inconsistent in direction, and did not reach statistical significance. It is possible that significant differences would have emerged if a wider range of subject characteristics and BACs had been examined. BACs over 0.10% were not tested, and the sample did not include subjects under 19 years and over 70 years, or very light and very heavy drinkers. Within those limits, no significant differences in the magnitude of alcohol impairment within the categories of age, gender, and drinking practice appeared for this diverse sample.
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Moskowitz, H. A., Fiorentino, D. (2000, April). A review of the literature on the effects of low doses of alcohol on driving-related skills. (Report no. DOT HS 809 028). Washington, DC: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A review of the scientific literature regarding the effects of alcohol on driving-related skills was conducted. One hundred and twelve articles - from 1981 to 1997 - were reviewed. Results were indexed by BAC and behavioral area and entered into a database. Two separate analyses were conducted. The first analysis determined the lowest BAC at which impairment is reliably present in driving-related skills. The second analysis determined the thresholds of impairment for each of twelve separate behavioral areas. It was concluded that: 1) Alcohol impairs some driving skills beginning with any significant departure from zero BAC. By BACs of 0.05 g/dl, the majority of the experimental studies examined reported significant impairment. By 0.08 g/dl, more than 94% of the studies reviewed exhibited skills impairment. 2) Specific performance skills are differentially affected by alcohol. Some skills are significantly impaired by BACs of 0.01 g/dl, while others do not show impairment until BACs of 0.06 g/dl. 3) Discrepancies between the reported BAC threshold of impairment within a behavioral area reflected a lack of standardization of testing methods, instruments, and measures in the studies reviewed. 4) All drivers are expected to experience impairment in some driving-related skills by 0.08 g/dl or less.
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► Alcohol Impairment |
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