VEHICULAR CRASHES AND ALCOHOL INVOLVEMENT IN DRIVERS AT FAULT, AND RELATED FATALITIES

This descriptive, population-based retrospective review of coroner's a nd related law enforcement agency's records, and hospital emergency-ro om records, evaluates the characteristics of fatal traffic crashes in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, according to whether the driver at fau lt had been drinking alcohol or not, and examines the relationship bet ween alcohol consumption of drivers at fault, and their respective vic tims. Our data suggest that passengers of alcohol-positive drivers are as much at risk for fatal crash injuries as are the drivers themselve s. Nondrinking drivers should be designated to avoid such risks. The d ata also show a substantial proportion of crashes involving BAC-negati ve victims and alcohol-uninvolved drivers at fault. These non-alcohol- related crashes need further evaluation to enable better methods of pr evention.