The Long Beach/Fort Lauderdale relative risk study

The role of alcohol as a major factor in traffic crash causation has been firmly established. However, controversy remains as to the precise shape of the relative risk function and the BAC at which crash risk begins to increase. This study used a case-control design in two locations: Long Beach, Cal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of safety research 2009-08, Vol.40 (4), p.285-292
Main Authors: Blomberg, Richard D., Peck, Raymond C., Moskowitz, Herbert, Burns, Marcelline, Fiorentino, Dary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents, Traffic - legislation & jurisprudence
Accidents, Traffic - prevention & control
Accidents, Traffic - statistics & numerical data
Alcohol use
Alcoholic Intoxication - blood
Alcoholic Intoxication - diagnosis
Automobile drivers
Automobile Driving
Blood alcohol concentration
Breath Tests
California - epidemiology
Case-Control Studies
Crashes
Drinking and driving
Drunk driving
Ethanol - blood
Florida - epidemiology
Hit-and-run drivers
Humans
Impaired driving
Relative risk
Risk
Safety research
Traffic accidents & safety
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Summary:The role of alcohol as a major factor in traffic crash causation has been firmly established. However, controversy remains as to the precise shape of the relative risk function and the BAC at which crash risk begins to increase. This study used a case-control design in two locations: Long Beach, California, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Data were collected on 2,871 crashes of all severities and a matched control group of drivers selected from the same time, location, and direction of travel as the crash drivers. Of the 14,985 sample drivers, 81.3% of the crash drivers and 97.9% of the controls provided a valid BAC specimen. When adjusted for covariates and nonparticipation bias, increases in relative risk were observed at BACs of .04–.05, and the elevations in risk became very pronounced when BACs exceeded .10. The results provide strong support for .08 per se laws and for state policies that increase sanctions for BACs in excess of .15. This study provides further precision on the deleterious effects of alcohol on driving and, by implication, on other complex tasks.
ISSN:0022-4375
1879-1247
DOI:10.1016/j.jsr.2009.07.002