The prevalence of drinking and driving in the United States, 2001–2002: Results from the national epidemiological survey on alcohol and related conditions S. Patricia Chou, Deborah A. Dawson, Frederick S. Stinson, Boji Huang, Roger P. Pickering, Yuan Zhou, Bridget F. Grant Drug and Alcohol Dependence 83 (2006) 137–146

Introduction WHO’s projections suggest that by 2020 road traffic deaths and injuries could rank third among all causes of death and disability worldwide.(WHO,2003) NHTSA reported that motor vehicle crashes were the number one cause of death among all accidental deaths, and approximately 40% of all traffic fatalities were alcohol-related (NHTSA, 1996, 1998, 2000).

35% of all U.S. traffic fatalities occurs among drivers who had a BAC of 0.08 or higher (NHTSA, 2002). The rates of alcohol-impaired driving during the past month preceding the telephone survey varied from 2.5% in 1993 to 2.3% in (Quinlan et al., 2005)

One out of four persons reporting riding with a drinking driver was also a drinking driver (Dellinger et al., 1999).

Aim To address the existing gap in the public knowledge regarding the magnitude of the problem of drinking and driving practices. This study was to examine the significance of various driver/passenger characteristics with respect to gender, age, race-ethnicity, place of residence, etc.

Methods The resulting sample size was 43,093 and the overall survey response rate was 81%. Within each household, one respondent ages 18 or older was randomly selected.

Measures of drinking and driving In your entire life, did you EVER more than once drive a car or other vehicle WHILE you were drinking? Did you EVER more than once drive a car, motorcycle, truck, boat, or other vehicle after having too much to drink? Did you EVER more than once ride in a car or other vehicle as a passenger WHILE the driver was drinking? Did you EVER ride in a car as a passenger while you were drinking?

Results

Discussion There were approximately 23.4 million, or 11.3%, of American adults who reported engaging in at least one of the four risky drinking and driving behaviors. The 12-month prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving (driving after having too much to drink) was 2.87%, which was greater than the 1-month prevalence of 2.3% as reflected on the 2002 BRFSS data (Quinlan et al., 2005).

Rates of drinking and driving behaviors among male drivers were two- to three- fold of those of female drivers. 年輕人比例較高的原因 :lack of experience in driving, risk-taking and sensation- seeking, aggressiveness and youth culture

The fatality rate was found to be two to three times greater in the least densely populated counties than in large cities (Baker et al., 1984; Muelleman et al., 1993). These findings highlight the need to further examine the determinants of the drinking and driving phenomena especially in rural regions.

This finding is consistent with previous investigations indicating that greater proportions of Native Americans have been involved in traffic crashes. Motor vehicle crashes are the 3rd and the 5th leading cause of death for American Indian males and females, respectively (NHTSA, 2000).

Asian Americans reported the lowest rates of drinking–driving occurrences, which is consistent with previous findings (NHTSA, 1998, 2002). Evidence has also shown that binging induces acute psychomotor and cognitive impairments, blurs logical reasoning, increases the likelihood of self-destruction or aggression toward others (Skibin et al., 2004).

Passengers’ demographics, that is, young, male, never married or widowed /separated /divorced were all implicated in increasing the risk of passenger-based drinking and driving behaviors. Collaboration between public health, traffic safety professionals and criminal justice agencies will prove to be critical.

限制 當作其他研究的基礎 受測者會擔心法律問題 受測者可能會回答不實 乘客有可能回答問題是指他自身酒駕 缺少車禍的資料以供比對