Citation

Hingson R, Heeren T, Winter M. Am. J. Public Health 1996; 86(9): 1297-1299.

Affiliation

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, MA 02118, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, American Public Health Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8806383

PMCID

PMC1380594

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to determine whether reductions in alcohol-related fatal crashes following adoption of 0.08% legal blood alcohol limits were independent of general regional trends. METHODS: The first five states that lowered legal blood alcohol limits to 0.08% were paired with five nearby states that retained a 0.10% legal standard. Within each pair, comparisons were made for the maximum equal available number of pre- and post-law years. RESULTS: States adopting 0.08% laws experienced 16% and 18% relative postlaw declines in the proportions of fatal crashes involving fatally injured drivers whose blood alcohol levels were 0.08% or higher and 0.15% or higher. CONCLUSIONS: If all states adopted 0.08% legal blood alcohol limits, at least 500 to 600 fewer fatal crashes would occur annually.

Language: en