The influence of alcohol on pedestrians has been studied less often than in the driver population. There is no illegal alcohol rate for pedestrians although this information may be instrumental in exonerating the driver from all or part of the responsibility for an accident. This paper aims at describing the size and nature of the problem of alcohol in fatal crashes involving pedestrians in France. Data from fatal crashes report drawn up by the police from March 1990 to February 1991 is used. These reports have been analysed to describe the level of information on blood alcohol concentration among pedestrians and the proportion of adult pedestrians with BAC above 0.8 g/l (legal limit for driving at the time the data was collected). The number of adult (aged over 16) pedestrian fatalities analysed was 1136 and alcohol involvement was reported in 51 percent of cases. The unit of analysis was generally the pedestrian, but in some cases it was reasoned in terms of accidents, examining whether blood alcohol concentration above 0.8 g/l was detected among the pedestrians or the drivers involved in the pedestrian accidents. The main characteristics of fatal crashes involving drinking pedestrians are shown. They generally occur at night, on country roads, with male pedestrians in the 30 to 64 age group. But blood tests and the reporting of results are not carried out in a random manner where pedestrians are concerned. (A)
Samenvatting