HOSPITALIZATION AND INJURY INFLUENCE ON THE PROSECUTION OF DRUNK DRIVERS

The influence that injury and hospitalization from alcohol-related mot or vehicle crashes may have on subsequent prosecution for drunk drivin g was studied utilizing concurrent controls consisting of three cohort s of drivers. The cohorts were drunk and injured drivers, drunk and no t injured drivers, and sober and injured drivers. Even though the majo rity of intoxicated drivers were identified by police as having been d rinking, evidentiary testing was not uniform. Culpability for the cras h was high in the drunk cohorts compared with the sober drivers, and y et there was a statistically significant difference in the conviction rate of injured drunk drivers (59%) compared with uninjured drunk driv ers (100%). Injury and hospitalization for drunk drivers after motor v ehicle crashes affords protection from prosecution, and may enable ong oing risk-taking behavior by the drunk driver.