The problem of alcohol-impaired driving extends beyond highways to waterways. Epidemiologic data show that patterns of alcohol use in boating accidents resemble those of alcohol use in road accidents. Interpretation of data on concentrations of alcohol (ethanol) in persons fatally injured in boating accidents is often less straightforward. Because some bodies are not recovered until many hours or even days later, one frequently encountered issue is whether concentrations of alcohol measured in bodily fluids are mostly due to consumption of alcoholic beverages before the accident or, alternatively, due to postmortem formation of alcohol by endogenous bacteria. Based on a review of the literature, the authors identify criteria to guide judgments concerning the likely origin of alcohol in the bodily fluids of persons fatally injured in boating accidents. (A)
Abstract