Low dose alcohol and road safety Dr Edward Ogden PSM MA MBBS BMedSc DipCrim GradCertMgt(TechMgt) FRAGP FAChAM

Alcohol > 6 million tests per year 1 in 250 test positive Alcohol interlocks

1606 – 4 Jac 1 c5 “odious and loathsome sin of drunkenness” “Whereas the loathsom and odious sin of drunkenness is of late grown into common use within this realm, being the root and foundation of of many other enormous sins, as blood shed, stabbing, murder, swearing, fornication and the such like, to the great dishonour of God, and of our nation, the overthrow of many good arts and manual trades, the disabling of divers workmen, and the general impoverishing of many good subjects, abusively wasting the good creatures of God …”

Licensing Act 1872 (35 & 36 Vict c. 94). Every person found drunk in any highway or other public place [or] who is drunk while in charge on any highway or other public place of any carriage, horse, cattle, or steam engine, or who is drunk when in possession of any loaded firearms, may be apprehended, and shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings, or in the discretion of the court to imprisonment... for any term not exceeding one month Harbour sailor on drink charge June 3, :42PM Alaskan state troopers in the town of North Pole used lights and sirens to apprehend a man suspected of driving a ride-on lawnmower while drunk.

How many drinks for your pilot?

Grand Rapids 1964 Borkenstein, R., Crowther, R.F, Shumate, R.P., Zeil, W W and Zylinan R, The Role of the Drinking Driver in Traffic Accidents. 1964, Department of Police Administration, Indiana University: Bloomngton IN.

A Guide to Zero Tolerance and Graduated Licensing: Two Strategies That Work. (2000) Office of Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U. S. Department of Justice).

In the body STOMACH 20% BODY WATER BRAIN ELIMINATION ABSORPTION METABOLISM 97% BREATH SWEAT 3% URINE FAECES DISTRIBUTION INTESTINE 80% LIVER KIDNEYS BLOOD STREAM

What determines B.A.C.? Amount consumed Time Body size and build Gender Presence of food in stomach Past exposure to alcohol

Differences between men & women Women – Are smaller – Less water – No gastric enzymes – Fluctuation in hormones

Rate of drinking...

How much matters? If you can measure the alcohol there is an effect Behavioural manifestations 1 to 2 drinks  0.01% %  relaxed & happy 3 to 5 drinks  0.06% %   judgement  coordination  aggression 10 to 13 drinks  0.20% to 0.25%  sedation 15 to 20 drinks  0.30%  blackouts 25 to 30 drinks  0.40%  coma, death

Single Vehicle Fatal Collision 738 times Male years Female years All Drivers 15,560 times 380 times *

Reaction Time effect measurable – > 0.07% common tasks – < 0.02% complex tasks

Tracking Impairment at low levels Exaggerated by other drugs

Coordination Gross skills not sensitive – Seasoned drinkers compensate Fine skills sensitive – Hard to measure

Vision Abnormal eye movements Difficulty tracking moving target Tunnel vision Decreased acuity Delayed recovery from glare

Divided Attention Concentration alone not sensitive Attention tasks highly sensitive Increase in error rates <0.05% Difficult tasks - speed/accuracy increased error rates at 0.005%

Divided attention

Driving Skills Complex challenge = greater effect Steering errors at 0.03% On-road driving impaired 0.03 to 0.05% Ignore rules/instructions at 0.05% Skill advantage abolished at 0.06%

“…. Our Father..who art in heaven…..…

He wasn’t drunk! “Inebriation”, “drunk”, “stupefaction” – Swedish police doctors judged drivers “impaired” 50% at 0.15gm/dl 100% at 0.26 gm/dl – Alcohol treatment centre in US 24% over 0.20 gm/dl showed ‘no signs of intoxication’ – Emergency Department in US Patients who had been drinking & judged “sober” had mean BAC of 0.272%

What did the policeman say? BAC“not under the influence” 0.05% to 0.079%87% 0.08% to 0.099%62% 0.10% to 0.119%64% Over 0.12%62% Wells, L. G., MA, Foss, R.D. Ferguson, S,A and Williams A F. (1997). "Drinking drivers missed at sobriety checkpoints." Journal of Studies on Alcoho 15(5):

BAC and Collision Risk All fatalities Single vehicle fatality All collisions

Single Vehicle Fatal Collision 738 times Male years Female years All Drivers 15,560 times 380 times *

TAC Current Campaign 18 to 25 year olds represented 14% of licenced drivers, they accounted for 28% of all drivers killed on Victoria's roads.

Current Campaign