Blood samples, driver records and accident records of 41 female and 186 male fatally injured drivers were examined. Toxicologies showed: 37 percent alcohol-only; 11 percent alcohol-and-drugs; and 9 percent drugs-only. The most frequently found drugs were: 48 percent alcohol; 13 percent tetrahydrocannabinol or its metabolites (THC/THCCOOH); 4 percent cocaine; and 5 percent diazepam. To investigate the relationship between accident patterns and alcohol and drug use, a factor analysis of accident and driver records produced a 7-factor varimax solution accounting for 63 percent of the matrix variance. The "Male Single Vehicle" factor related positively to alcohol, the "Young Recidivists" factor Recidivists" factor related to both alcohol and THC/THCCOOH, and the "Weather" factor related to CNS depressants. Accidents should be examined using multivariate techniques to develop more effective accident classification systems. (A)
Samenvatting