Citation

No Author(s) Listed. Br. Med. J. BMJ 1940; 1(4130): 359-360.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1940, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

During the first four months of war [World War II] 4,130 persons had met their deaths on the roads of Great Britain. Of the 1,155 fatalities in December, 895 occurred during black-out [a deliberate reduction in lighting to protect a place from enemy attack] hours. While there were many causes for these road deaths, one of them undoubtedly was alcohol, acting directly or indirectly. He quoted from the report of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on the Prevention of Road Accidents, issued in March, 1939: "The effect of even moderate quantities of alcohol on drivers is not generally realized. It should be emphasized that, even where there is no question of drunkenness, a small quantity of alcohol is for many drivers most dangerous." In certain countries, Sweden, Norway, and Germany in particular, where the blood alcohol test was either compulsory or in general use, there was now overwhelming evidence that at least 40 per cent. of persons in road accidents, whether pedestrians, drivers, or passengers, were under the influence of alcohol, and were consequently a danger to themselves and others. As for the evidence that alcohol had taken some part in -the production of the added danger of the black-out, he referred to an experiment conducted in Glasgow, where, for four weeks in September and October, the licensees agreed to close their premises at 8 p.m. instead of at 10 p.m. During those four weeks the number of arrests for drunkenness was 836, the number of injured in road accidents 317, and the number of killed 19. During another four weeks (one in September, one in October, and two in November), with 10 p.m. closing, the arrests numbered 1,232, the injured 491, and the killed 27. The Lord Provost stated: ". . . many street accidents Could have been avoided,if 8 p.m. closing by public houses had been continued," and he went on to com-' plain that the "trade" had refused to give the continued co-operation whereby this result might have been secured. If early closing were not adopted, what of some other factors which might be used to lessen the baneful effects of alcohol during the black-out? These were the voluntary determination of all motor drivers to abstain for the duration of the war during all periods in which they were likely to be in control of motor vehicles; the voluntary determination of all citizens not to consume alcohol during the hours of the black-out, and the willingness of magistrates to impose.the penalties set out in Section 15 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, in the case of all motor drivers convicted of being under thle influence of drink to such an extent as to be incapable of proper control of their vehicles.

Mr. McAdam Eccles said that he did not think the position had been reached when on the blood alcohol test alone any person should be punished, but if this test was combined with clinical signs 'and symptoms it would prove a most useful supplementary. Dr. H. M. Vernon pointed out that such figures as those in Glasgow must be modified to some extent by the different hours at which the black-out began over the periods in question, and also by the phases of the moon. He expressed the view that in the summer months. when there would be only two hours of black-out affecting ordinary citizens, the accident rate would show very little difference as compared with last year.

Dr. Courtenay-Weeks said that, apart from alcohol, the black-out must be-responsible for a-large number of accidents. An extensive survey had been made in American cities where in some cases economy in lighting had been practised. In one city where the expenditure on lighting Was I 2 dollars per head the accidents at night had a ratio of 130 to 100 in the day time, but in a city where only half a dollar per head was spent on street lighting the night ratio went up to 265 as compared with 100 in the day. Sir Robert Hutchison said that it appeared that a considerable number of persons killed in the black-out were quite elderly. Was it to be supposed that these were more given to alcohol than the young? Mr. Eccles replied that if the persons leaving public houses between 10 and 11 at night were observed they would be found to include a large number of the elderly, and he was afraid that it was at this hour that a good many accidents occurred.