ROLE OF ALCOHOL IN TRAFFIC CRASHES INVOLVING WOMEN - PASSENGER CAR FATALITIES IN NORTHERN SWEDEN

Objective: Since increased alcohol consumption and increased driving a mong women may lead to a growing mortality due to drunken driving amon g women, the study analyzed gender differences among traffic fatalitie s. Method: Traffic fatalities (597 victims, 159 women) in northern Swe den were investigated, using autopsy and police reports, for a 10-year period, 1980-1989. Results: The incidence of inebriated female driver fatalities was 0.51 per 100 million km (men, 0.66). Eighty-six percen t of the female inebriated drivers (98% of men) and 68% of female sobe r drivers (78% of men) initiated the crash. Blood alcohol was detected in 10% of the women (men, 32%) with a mean blood alcohol concentratio n of 1.1 g/kg (men, 1.9 g/kg). Of the women, 13% had liver steatosis ( men, 28%). The proportion of victims with liver steatosis increased wi th increasing blood alcohol concentration. Only one case of liver cirr hosis was found (a man). The majority of the inebriated victims were k illed from May through October (women, 73%; men, 76%), and from Friday s through Sundays (women, 87%; men, 70%). Only 27% of the inebriated w omen crashed between 9 PM and 6 AM, compared to 62% of the men. The bo dy location of fatal trauma was similar in men and women and was not i nfluenced by alcohol. Conclusions: Female traffic fatalities differ fr om those of men in several respects. No evidence was found for an incr ease in the number of women in alcohol-related traffic fatalities in S weden over the 10-year period studied. Drunken driving and alcohol abu se in traffic is still mainly a male problem.