Drunk Driving in Injury and Fatal Accidents in France in 2000 - Interaction between Alcohol and other Offences C. FILOU 2, Avenue du général Malleret Joinville, 94114 ARCUEIL Cedex France INRETS/DERA Abstract This article relates the French situation of alcohol in injury accidents and examines especially the relations between alcohol and other offences. Introduction The French statistics related to alcohol levels of drivers involved in injury accidents are incomplete. Indeed, they affect only the number of breath tests and positive tests performed by police after all accidents (injury and damage). The s of alcohol levels by checking after positive tests and by direct blood sample (impossible breath test) are not taken into account. Objectives and methods An exact representation of the drunk driving (legal and illegal) in injury accidents must take in consideration the alcohol levels of all accident-involved drivers. Two data were available in 2000: first, the national exhaustive injury accident file holding two variables according to "alcohol": method of detection (breath test, breathalyser, blood sample) and (alcohol level) which is elaborated by police rapidly after the accident; secondly, the INRETS accident report file (1/50 of all reports) where the data and the practices are more detailed and precise which has been performed later. We made an interrogation of these two files. Results Two types of analysis may be introduced: analysis at individual driver and analysis at accident taking into account all drivers involved in the accident. Analysis at whole accident level is performed on the basis that an accident "without alcohol" corresponds to an accident in which no driver was over the legal limit and an accident is considered "with alcohol" if at least one driver was over the legal limit. Comprehensive file It contains 121,223 injury accidents (6,811 fatal). Some s (according to the number of vehicle involved, the category and the sex of driver) are available, More than one injury accident out of ten (11%) is an accident "with alcohol". This ratio increases to more than one out of three (3) for fatal accidents and 4 for the single vehicle involved in fatal accidents.
10,658 drivers (5.) had an illegal (over 0.49 g/l) alcohol rate (1,584 or 16.2% in fatal). For the pedestrian, the ratio is smaller in injury accidents (5.2%) but bigger in fatal one's (28.6%). Figure 1: Illegal alcohol levels in accidents 1 12% 1 6% 2% 0.50-0.79 g/l 0.80-1.19 g/l >= 1.20 g/l Injury accident Fatal accident The proportion of drivers with "illegal alcohol" rate is more important for men (6.7%) than for women (1.) but the ratio is reduced in fatal accidents (18.2% vs. 6.3%). Illegal alcohol fluctuates according to the vehicle. Table 1: Drivers with "illegal alcohol" rate in accidents according to the vehicle Vehicles Fatal accidents Injury accidents Bicycle Moped Motorcycle Car Delivery truck Truck Bus Others 16. 28.3% 20.6% 18. 10. 1. 11.6% 2. 4.3% 3. 6.3% 4. 1.1% 0.2% 6. Car drivers have the greatest proportion of "illegal alcohol" rate in injury accidents. But in fatal accident, the maximum concerns moped's drivers and the rate of motorcyclists is too greater than the one of car drivers. Whatever severity of the accident, bus and truck drivers are very respectful with the law on the alcohol.
INRETS file 1,000 reports were examined. They involved 1,743 drivers and 138 pedestrians. Alcohol level is known in 8 accidents for 86% drivers. Figure 2: Alcohol investigation practices for injury accidents Drivers involved in injury accidents impossible or refused unknown NOT performed performed 8.2% 2. 8. 81. blood test blood test positive negative impossible 3.7% 4. 3.9% 77. negative positive unknown 0.3% 2.2% 2. The search of alcohol was carried out for only 86% drivers (81. by test with confirmation if the was positive, confirmation by breathalyser or blood test and 4. by direct blood test). We notes than when the had a positive, first an illegal rate concerns only 93% drivers and then, the alcohol level is higher if the confirmation is measured by blood test than by breathalyser and those in spite of a longer delay for the measure. Table 2: Measures of the alcohol level after positive by test Alcohol level (g/l) <0.50 0.50-0.79 0.80-1.19 1.19-1.99 >= 2.00 Blood test 42% 42% Breathalyser 9% 19% 1 37% 21% Mean 1.81 g/l 0.71 mg/l Delay 1h 45mn 1h 20mn Variations are also observed between accidents "with alcohol" or "without alcohol" according to the localisation, the day and the time. The proportion of drivers with "illegal alcohol" rate fluctuates with the age. It is maximum for 18-39 years old and minimum for younger.
Fig 3: Drivers with illegal alcohol rate according to the age 7% 6% 3% 2% 1% 0 to 17 y. 18 to 24 y. 25 to 39 y. 40 to 54 y. over 55 y. Figure 4: Injury accident "with alcohol" according to the network 2 2 1 1 Motorway Main road Secondary road Other road
Injury accidents "with alcohol" were more frequent on rural than in urban area and this especially on main roads (that is new) but also on secondary roads. It is on the motorway that the legislation is the most respected. Table 3: Injury accident "with alcohol" according to the day Day of the week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Bank holiday Injury accidents with alcohol 1 1 11% 19% 2 1 The injury accidents "with alcohol" are more frequent during the night especially between midnight and 4h. The proportion of injury accidents "with alcohol" is bigger during the weekend especially on Sunday. Figure 5: Injury accident "with alcohol" according to the time 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 0-4h 4-8h 8-12h 12-16h 16-20h 20-24h In the reports, police indicates the traffic offences committed by the drivers involved in injury accidents (speed, priority, manoeuvre, overtaking, stamped papers, others ). One or more "other" offence is founded among 47% drivers with "illegal alcohol" rate (vs. only 31% drivers with legal alcohol rate. Speed offence is correlated with alcohol infraction
in 31% cases. Lake of priority, helmet or seat belt not wearing and no insurance are less frequent. The bigger proportion of drivers with legal alcohol rate who do not respect the priority must be explained: drivers with "illegal alcohol" rate are more involved in single accident out of intersection. Figure 6: Drivers with other offences in injury accidents 3 3 2 2 1 1 Speed offence Lake of priority Helmet or sealt belt not wearing No insurance Illegal alcohol Legal alcohol Discussion In 1995, the alcohol legal limit was reduced to 0.5 g/l. It seems that this legislation has no influence on the number of drivers involved in injury accidents with "illegal alcohol" rate. Moreover, their mean alcohol rate did not decrease (2.15 g/l). In the French legislation, the search of alcohol is compulsory for all drivers involved in injury accident. In fact, this search is carried out for only 8. So, the searchers are very anxious to know the s about the search of drug in fatal accidents, which is compulsory since October 2001. The link between illegal alcohol and speed offence in injury accidents is not surprising. However, the measures carried out on the road showed that the drivers with alcohol below the legal limit (between 0.01 and 0.24 g/l) exceed more the speed limits than those with "illegal alcohol" rate.