Epidemiologic research has demonstrated a strong relationship between blood alcohol concentration (bac) and the risk of collision involvement. This relationship is particularly pronounced among young drivers who are at higher risk of crash, relative to older age groups, at all BACs. Nevertheless, the causal relationship remains obscure - alcohol is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for collision occurrence. In this context, preoccupation with alcohol as a risk factor, particularly in the collision experience of young drivers, has proved a hindrance in identifying other factors that contribute to crashes involving the use of alcoholic beverages. A myriad of intervening variables lies between alcohol as 'cause' and crash as 'effect'. The few studies available to date suggest that social, psychological and behavioural factors may better distinguish young drivers with a high risk of crash involvement than the presence and amount of alcohol per se. This paper describes the results of a survey of 800 high school students (ages 13-19) concerning their personal attributes - attitudes, opinions, personality, alcohol and drug use, risk-taking - in relation to previous accident involvement. In general, young drivers (and passengers) who reported having been involved in a traffic crash could be distinguished, in a number of these areas, from those who had not. The findings are discussed in terms of a model that incorporates lifestyle factors as an important variable in the crash experience of young people. (A)
Abstract