PSYCHOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FOLLOW-UP OF DRINKING AND NONDRINKING DRIVERS IN MOTOR-VEHICLE CRASHES

Eight hundred fifty-four consecutive motor vehicle crash (MVC) victims admitted from August 1, 1986, through August 31, 1989, were prospecti vely assessed including measurement of blood alcohol concentration (BA C). One hundred six in-hospital interviews were conducted on competent consenting drivers greater-than-or-equal-to 18 years old; 22.9% (n = 22) of those who were BAC tested (n = 96) were positive for alcohol on admission. The blood alcohol concentration positive [BAC(+)] and the BAC negative (-) drivers differed significantly on the following varia bles: driver education [BAC(-) > BAC(+): p < 0.01], license suspension greater-than-or-equal-to 2 years before admission [BAC(+) > BAC(-): p < 0.01], frequency of self-reported intoxication in month before cras h [BAC(+) > BAC(-): p < 0.05], driving within 2 hours of drinking less -than-or-equal-to 1 month before admission [BAC(+) > BAC(-): p = 0.01] and self-reported driving with BAC > 17 mmol/L less-than-or-equal-to 1 month before admission [BAC(+) > BAC(-): p < 0.01]. Follow-up interv iews (n = 106) were conducted 1 year after discharge; drivers original ly testing BAC(+) were more likely to drive within 2 hours of drinking (p < 0.05), and were more likely to admit to driving with a BAC > 17 mmol/L (p < 0.01). Original BAC(+) drivers were also more likely to re port a subsequent MVC in the year following discharge (not statistical ly significant). There is a need to develop an assessment system to id entify high crash-risk drivers and establish rehabilitation programs t o reduce crash recidivism.