NCJ Number
147373
Journal
International Journal of the Addictions Volume: 27 Issue: 6 Dated: (1992) Pages: 675-682
Date Published
1992
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A comparative analysis focused on the driving and demographic characteristics of 407 driver fatalities and 407 motorists convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol in New Jersey in 1986.
Abstract
Results revealed that significantly more drunk driving offenders than driver fatalities were men and had previous convictions for driving under the influence, accidents, driver's license suspensions, and weekend index events. Driver fatalities who had blood or brain alcohol concentrations of 100 mg/dL or above matched most closely with drunk driving offenders on negative driving events such as moving violations, accidents, and license suspensions; index event days; and demographics. In contrast, driver fatalities with negative blood alcohol content differed significantly from the drunk driving offenders on almost all characteristics. Findings indicated that drivers who are killed in traffic accidents and have high blood alcohol may come from the same subpopulation of deviant drivers as drunk driving offenders, whereas driver fatalities with negative blood alcohol seem similar to licensed drivers in general. Table, author photographs and descriptions, and 8 references (Author abstract modified)