Alcohol In Accidents

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31560, 23 December 1967, Page 19

Alcohol In Accidents

A statistical survey should be made to assess the role of alcohol in traffic accidents, says a Wellington physician, Dr C. M. Luke, in an article in the latest issue of the “Medical Journal.”

He recommends this be done in an attempt to convince the New Zealand authorities of the importance of alcohol as a cause of road accidents, and of the need for more effective legislation. It should be carried out, he contends, by assessing the blood alcohol level in all persons over the age of 15 who die within 12 hours of traffic accidents, and of all persons admitted to hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in a road accident. “I would estimate with confidence that alcohol is the single most important cause of New Zealand road deaths.” Dr Luke says. “More than 40 per cent of our fatalities are due to impairment of driving capacities as a consequence of drink ing.” Dead Drivers Dr Luke quotes blood alcohol levels found in a series of consecutive coroners’ postmortem examinations carried cut by a pathologist in a New Zealand metropolitan area ever a recent 18-month per iod. This showed that of 17 dead drivers, 70 per cent had blood alcohol levels exceeding 100 milligrams per 100 millilitres. “While the effect op driv-

ing skills varies between individuals with similar blood alcohol levels, the judgment of most drivers is affected when the blood alcohol level approaches 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres,” Dr Luke adds. “In few cases could any person drive with unimpaired skill when levels approach lOOmg.

“Vested interests are pre venting wider acceptance of the need for obligatory alcohol tests and in saying this I refer to us all.

“Most enjoy the social pleasures of modest drinking and are apprehensive as to the possible effects of strict legis lation on such pastimes. “Fortunately we can be re assured by studies which show that only with unusual drinking do blood alcohol lev els above 100 milligrams pei 100 millilitres occur.” Objection To Term

Dr Ltike objects to the use of the term compulsory when applied to blood testing. “The use of the roads by drivers could be better regarded as a privilege than as

a right, and I feel that any individual who abuses that privilege by driving with more than lOOmg. of alcohol in his blood should lose that permission to drive,” he says. “I fear we appear to be falling over backwards to defend the democratic rights of the drinking driver, and are overlooking the extent of death and injury that he is causing on New Zealand roads.”