ALCOHOL-USE, DRIVING RECORDS, AND CRASH CULPABILITY AMONG INJURED MOTORCYCLE DRIVERS

Alcohol use, driving records, crash culpability, and crash conviction rates for 165 injured motorcycle drivers (MTCDs) were studied. Of the 165 MTCDs, 53.3% tested positive for alcohol (BAC+). Culpability deter minations (n = 150) revealed that 83% of BAC + and 46% of BAC - MTCDs caused their crashes (p < 0.001). Driving records (n = 145) revealed t he following prevalence of one or more convictions for BAC+ and BAC- M TCDs: impaired driving (29% vs. 7%, p < 0.001); speeding (74% vs. 58%, p < b.05); and reckless driving (68% vs. 44%, p < 0.002). Of the surv iving culpable impaired MCTDs (n = 48), 16.7% received crash-related c onvictions. 12.5% received alcohol-related convictions. The reasons fo r the low conviction rates are probably multifactoral.