Phillips David P, Sousa Ana Luiza R, Moshfegh Rebecca T
Department of Sociology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
USC Gould School of Law, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Inj Prev. 2015 Apr;21(e1):e28-35. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2013-040925. Epub 2014 Jan 7.
Some laboratory studies find that driving is impaired even at blood alcohol content (BAC)=0.01%. However, no real-world traffic studies have investigated whether minimally 'buzzed' drivers (BAC=0.01%) are more likely to be blamed for a crash than are the sober drivers they collide with.
To determine whether official blame for a crash increases significantly at BAC=0.01%.
We examined the relationship between the driver's BAC and the degree to which he or she was assigned sole official blame (SOB) for the crash. We analysed an official, exhaustive, nationwide US database (Fatality Analysis Reporting System; n=570 731), covering 1994-2011.
Even minimally 'buzzed' drivers are 46% (24-72%) more likely to be officially blamed for a crash than are the sober drivers they collide with (χ(2)=20.45; p=0.000006). There is no threshold effect-no sudden transition from blameless to blamed drivers at BAC=0.08% (the US legal limit). Instead, SOB increases smoothly and strongly with BAC (r=0.98 (0.96-0.99) for male drivers, p<0.000001; r=0.99 (0.97-0.99) for female drivers, p<0.000001). This near-linear SOB-to-BAC relationship begins at BAC=0.01% and ends around BAC=0.24%. Our findings persist after controlling for many confounding variables.
There appears to be no safe combination of drinking and driving-even minimally 'buzzed' drivers pose increased risk to themselves and to others. Concerns about drunk driving should also be extended to 'buzzed' driving. US legislators should reduce the legal BAC limit, perhaps to 0.05%, as in most European countries. Lowering the legal BAC limit is likely to reduce injuries and save lives.
一些实验室研究发现，即使血液酒精含量（BAC）为0.01%时驾驶能力也会受损。然而，尚无实际交通研究调查过微醺驾驶者（BAC = 0.01%）是否比与之相撞的清醒驾驶者更有可能因撞车事故而受到指责。
确定在BAC = 0.01%时，官方对撞车事故的指责是否会显著增加。
我们研究了驾驶者的BAC与他或她被判定对撞车事故承担唯一官方责任（SOB）的程度之间的关系。我们分析了一个官方的、详尽的、覆盖全美国的数据库（死亡分析报告系统；n = 570731），涵盖1994年至2011年的数据。
即使是微醺驾驶者，与他们相撞的清醒驾驶者相比，因撞车事故受到官方指责的可能性也要高出46%（24% - 72%）（χ(2)=20.45；p = 0.000006）。不存在阈值效应——在美国法定限制BAC = 0.08%时，不存在从无责驾驶者到有责驾驶者的突然转变。相反，SOB随着BAC的升高而平稳且显著增加（男性驾驶者r = 0.98（0.96 - 0.99），p < 0.000001；女性驾驶者r = 0.99（0.97 - 0.99），p < 0.000001）。这种近乎线性的SOB与BAC的关系从BAC = 0.01%开始，在BAC = 0.24%左右结束。在控制了许多混杂变量后，我们的研究结果依然成立。
似乎不存在安全的酒后驾车组合——即使是微醺驾驶者也会给自己和他人带来更高风险。对酒后驾车的担忧也应扩展到微醺驾驶。美国立法者应降低法定BAC限制，或许降至0.05%，如同大多数欧洲国家那样。降低法定BAC限制可能会减少伤害并挽救生命。
