This retrospective study of fatal passenger car crash victims innorthern Sweden compares 396 multiple-vehicle (MV) and 201 single-vehicle (SV) fatalities from 1980 through 1989. Compared to MV fatalities, SV victims were more frequently males, were younger, were moreoften inebriated, had higher blood alcohol concentrations, had a higher frequency of fatty liver, and were less often restrained. The SV fatalities occurred most often from May through October, from Fridays through Sundays, and from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The road surface was usually dry, especially for drunken SV drivers. The SV drivers also more often lacked a valid driver's license. The study confirms that alcohol is one of the most important factors associated with trafficfatalities, particularly in SV crashes. More than half (56%) of theSV victims were inebriated by alcohol (MV, 11%), had a mean blood alcohol concentration of 1.9 g/l (MV, 1.6 g/l), and one-third had a fatty liver (MV, 20%). A relationship was also found between fatty liver and increased blood alcohol concentrations, suggesting that studies regarding the role of alcohol in traffic fatalities should also include an evaluation of liver morphology. (A)
Abstract