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Alcohol and Highway Safety 2001:
A Review of the State of Knowledge

DOT HS 809 383
November 2001

Contents

TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

• METHOD 
• FINDINGS
• The Alcohol-Crash Problem
• Response to the Alcohol-Crash Problem
• CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• The Alcohol-Crash Problem
• Responses to the Problem

• BACKGROUND 
• SCOPE AND APPROACH

2 - OVERVIEW OF THE ALCOHOL-CRASH PROBLEM

• DRINKING DRIVERS
• Crash Involvement
• Fatal Crashes
• Non-Fatal Crashes
• Non-Crash Involved Drivers
• Crash Risk
• DRINKING PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS
• Impaired Pedestrians and Bicyclists in Crashes
• Impaired Drivers in Pedestrian Crashes
• SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

3 - ALCOHOL EFFECTS ON PEOPLE  

• BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL
• Absorption, Metabolism, and Elimination of Alcohol
• Measurement of Alcohol Presence
• Acute and Chronic Effects of Alcohol
• BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL
• Driving-Related Performance
• Driving Performance

4 -DRINKING DRIVERS, PEDESTRIANS, AND BICYCLISTS 

• DRINKING AND DRINKING PATTERNS
• Apparent Consumption
• Patterns of Consumption
• CHARACTERISTICS OF DRINKING DRIVERS
• Biographical Variables
• Age
• Sex
• Race and Ethnicity
• Other Biographical Variables
• Drinking Variables
• Driving Variables
• Motivations for Drinking-Driving
• CHARACTERISTICS OF DRINKING PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS
• SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

5 - DEALING WITH THE ALCOHOL-CRASH PROBLEM  

• GENERAL NATURE OF ALCOHOL-CRASH COUNTERMEASURES
• Conceptual Frameworks
• Targets
• Driver-Oriented Countermeasure Actions
• Policies and Programs
• Evaluations
• Designs
• Limitations
• Summary
• COUNTERMEASURES TO PREVENT DRIVING AFTER DRINKING
• Deter and Incapacitate Drinking-Drivers
• The Traffic Law System
• Legislative Countermeasures
• Enforcement Countermeasures
• Adjudication and Sanctioning Countermeasures
• Comprehensive Countermeasures
• Provide Alternatives to Drinking-Driving
• Educate Drivers and Potential Drivers
• COUNTERMEASURES TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE DRINKING BEFORE DRIVING
• COUNTERMEASURES TO PREVENT CRASHES WHILE DRINKING-DRIVING
• COUNTERMEASURES FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLIST CRASHES
• ALCOHOL-CRASH COUNTERMEASURES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, A SPECIAL TARGET GROUP
• SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 

6 - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• THE ALCOHOL-CRASH PROBLEM 
• RESPONSES TO THE PROBLEM 

REFERENCES

• CITED ARTICLES
• OTHER ARTICLES AND REFERENCES

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF TABLES