[Some characteristics of drivers having caused traffic accidents].

INTRODUCTION

Traffic accidents are caused by road, vehicle and human factors, the latter one causing, either by itself or associated with other factors, more than 90% of car accidents. There are three types of human errors: errors in perception, attention and memory.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included thirty healthy drivers, aged 28-40, with 500 km driven per a week, who had caused at least one traffic accident, but not being intoxicated by alcohol or drugs during the accident. The same number of controls were included. Both the cases and controls were interviewed.

RESULTS

We found no difference regarding the marital status, education, conflicts with family members or problems at work, frequency of using the car, speed and habit of fastening seat belts among car drivers who had caused traffic accidents and those who had not. However, we did find significant differences in the frequency of alcohol consumption in general and before driving.

DISCUSSION

Car drivers who had caused traffic accidents used alcohol regularly in greater percentage than those drivers who had not caused any accident--i.e. not a single control claimed to use alcohol regularly. A statistically significant difference was also recorded in alcohol consumption immediately before driving. Such results had been expected, bearing in mind the influence of alcohol on the time needed by drivers to react in emergency.

CONCLUSION

Alcohol consumption is an important factor causing traffic accidents. Since drivers included in our study did not cause a road accident after consuming alcohol, we have found that alcohol consumption, both regular and just before driving, is an important cause of traffic accidents.