Barillo D J
Department of Surgery, Allentown Hospital-Lehigh Valley Hospital Center, PA 18105.
Accid Anal Prev. 1993 Oct;25(5):635-9. doi: 10.1016/0001-4575(93)90015-o.
The legal hazards of driving under the influence (DUI) are frequently not appreciated by alcohol users. Physicians who treat such patients following collisions are often unaware of the judicial disposition following hospital discharge. We examined the courthouse records of 511 intoxicated drivers involved in collisions and admitted to one Level I Trauma Center to determine if DUI arrests and convictions were obtained. The proportion arrested for DUI ranged from 6%-54% (mean 41%) depending on county of crash site and distance from the trauma center. Of those arrested, the proportion of DUI convictions averaged 98% for all jurisdictions. Two hundred and nineteen intoxicated drivers were transported from the crash scene by helicopter. Increased transport distance was associated with a lower arrest proportion (p = 0.01). Most injured intoxicated drivers in this study were not arrested for DUI. Of those identified and arrested, conviction was a virtual certainty. Helicopter transport may provide additional protection from prosecution.
饮酒驾车（DUI）的法律风险常常未被饮酒者所重视。在碰撞事故后治疗此类患者的医生往往并不知晓患者出院后的司法处置情况。我们查阅了511名因碰撞事故而入院并被收治于一家一级创伤中心的醉酒司机的法庭记录，以确定是否有酒驾被捕及定罪情况。因酒驾被捕的比例在6%至54%之间（平均为41%），这取决于碰撞事故发生地所在的县以及与创伤中心之间的距离。在那些被捕者中，所有司法管辖区的酒驾定罪比例平均为98%。219名醉酒司机由直升机从事故现场转运而来（接受治疗）。转运距离增加与较低的被捕比例相关（p = 0.01）。本研究中大多数受伤的醉酒司机并未因酒驾被捕。在那些被识别并逮捕者当中（因酒驾被捕），定罪几乎是确定无疑的。直升机转运可能会提供额外免受起诉的保护。
