Alcohol may have many functions in society, including important cultural, religious and symbolic meanings in most countries. Alcohol still remains a drug with many toxic effects and carries with it other dangers including intoxication and dependence. The results of alcohol ingestion include general impairment following an immediate depressing or stimulating effect on the brain. This in turn increases the likelihood of a vehicle crash following:
Even at low levels, alcohol can impair judgement and increase a vehicle crash risk, with effects becoming progressively worse as the blood concentration increases. |
Alcohol and the risk of a crash
Apart from the direct impact on crash outcomes (when considering factors such as increased reaction time, visual acuity and poor judgement), alcohol is believed to affect other aspects of driver safety including:
- Seat-belt compliance
- Helmet use
- Speed choice
- The use of other drugs following the tendency of alcohol to reduce inhibitions
Alcohol impairment significantly effects the risk of drivers, riders and pedestrians, and has been reported to be the most serious contributing factor to road crashes within motorized countries. Drivers who have been drinking consistently show a higher risk of involvement in crashes when compared to those who have not been drinking, with the risk increasing rapidly with an increase in rising blood alcohol concentration.
The post-crash effects of alcohol
Alcohol intoxication complicates the assessment and management of patients. The effects of alcohol may mimic a head injury, and may predispose a patient to more severe injuries. Intoxicated patients may not report pain or tenderness, and alcohol may interact with other medications (particularly those medications used for pain relief and sedation), whilst complicating surgery.
Alcohol exacerbates underlying diseases. A patient who has alcohol problems may have underlying medical and/or psychiatric conditions which may complicate their management. Pre-existing conditions such as cardiac disease may be exacerbated.
Alcohol increases recidivism. Patients who are alcohol positive at the time of injury are at a greater risk of re-injury or additional injury. Drunk drivers may repeatedly re-offend.
Alcohol complicates outcome. Intoxicated patients are at a higher risk of sustaining a complication during the recovery phase, such as pneumonia.
Demographic charactoristics of the drunk driver
Those at high risk of drunk-driving include: drivers and motorcyclists with any blood alcohol content greater than zero, inexperienced young adults, young adults (20- 29 years of age), teenage drivers and teenage drivers carrying two or more passengers.
- International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, tenth revision. Geneva, World Health Organization
Alcohol consumption by drivers puts pedestrians and motorbike riders at high risk
Crashes involving drinking and driving often exhibit similar characteristics:
A single vehicle that crashes at high speed: drunk-driving crashes often involve a single vehicle that has run off the road at a high speed. Many of these incidents result in the vehicle colliding with a stationary object such as a tree or fence post.
Night and/or weekend crashes: Accidents happen more frequently at night and generally over weekends or periods of high leisure activity.
There is an increased severity of injury: this may be attributed to the amount of alcohol present in the blood of a crash victim and how it limits the extent and level of recovery from injury.
The pedestrian
- Wilson RJ, Fang MR. Alcohol and drug impaired pedestrians killed or injured in motor vehicle collisions.
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