Citation

Dunbar J, Penttilae A, Pikkarainen J. J. Traffic Med. 1988; 16(1/2): 25-7.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1988, International Association for Accident and Traffic Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Accidents are commonly assumed to be related to the acute ingestion of alcohol. However evidence also shows that the relationship between drinking and accidents is weaker in the age group most prone to acute drinking habits than in groups where chronic alcoholism is more prevalent. Using a number of biological markers for excessive chronic alcohol intake such as gamma glutamyl transferase (ggt), experiments have been undertaken to study the prevalence of such markers in the blood of drivers over the age of 30 who are involved in accidents. This research has shown that such drivers are more prone to accidents than those without raised ggt levels. Studies in Norway and France have shown that 30% of drivers involved in accidents have raised ggt levels. In Scotland the figure is 48%, and in Italy it is 66%. Evidence from Finland suggests that the legal limit of 50 mgs/100 mls will miss a large proportion of such offenders. It is proposed that alcohol damage to the brain can impede driving ability, and that middle aged chronic drinkers have acquired the accident liability of old people.

Language: en

Keywords

Accident; Accident rate; Adult; Conference; Driving (veh); Drunkenness; Finland; Intoxication; Norway; Penalty; Risk; Traffic; Alcohol; Crash rates; United Kingdom; Italy; Legislation; France; Brain; Loss and damage; Driving licence; Damage