Alcoholism and Traffic Deaths

Abstract

RECENT reports have suggested that a substantial proportion of traffic accidents involving alcohol may be attributable to people with a drinking problem rather than to social drinkers. This argument finds support in 7 types of studies:Comparison of blood alcohol levels of people involved in traffic accidents and of people not so involved. Among the drinkers in both groups the levels reached by the accident group are much higher than those of the nonaccident group and suggest an ingestion pattern that, at best, is at the extreme end of the social drinking scale.¹⁵ Comparison of admissions to alcoholism rehabilitation programs . . .