22nd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Jun 13, 2011
Despite persistent efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-impaired crashes stil... more Despite persistent efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-impaired crashes still contribute to approximately 30% of all traffic fatalities. Although enforcement and educational approaches have helped to reduce alcohol-impaired fatalities, other approaches will be required to further reduce alcohol-related fatalities. This paper describes an approach that detects alcohol impairment in real time using vehicle-based sensors to detect alcohol-related changes in drivers' behavior. Data were collected on the National Advanced Driving Simulator from 108 volunteer drivers. Three age groups (21-34, 38-51, and 55-68 years of age) drove applied to relatively demanding driving situations), to twenty-five minutes for simple algorithms (i.e., logistic regression). Timely impairment detection depends critically on the driving context: variables specific to the particular driving situation result in much more timely impairment detection than generic variables.
A gap in knowledge exists regarding drug use among drivers and other road users (pedestrians, bic... more A gap in knowledge exists regarding drug use among drivers and other road users (pedestrians, bicyclists) who are seriously or fatally injured in crashes in the United States. This study examines the prevalence of alcohol as well as selected over-the-counter, prescription, and illegal drugs in the blood of seriously or fatally injured drivers and other crash victims near the time of their crashes before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Data was collected at Level 1 trauma centers and medical examiner offices. The 3,003 participants represent a convenience sample of roadway users who were seriously or fatally injured during the study period. Trauma centers and medical examiners made available small volumes of blood for toxicological analyses from the total collected during their normal clinical procedures. The results indicate drug prevalence was high among seriously and fatally injured roadway users before the public health emergency began and was even higher during,...
Background Beginning in 2016, the Anheuser-Busch InBev Foundation (ABIF) provided funding to six ... more Background Beginning in 2016, the Anheuser-Busch InBev Foundation (ABIF) provided funding to six pilot cities to implement evidence-based interventions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and its deleterious consequences such as alcohol-impaired driving. The cities receiving funding are Alexandra Township in
Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings an... more Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers ’ names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opin... more National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers ’ names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products
the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this pu... more the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers ' names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers..
Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, a... more Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. If trade names, manufacturers ’ names, or specific products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States
Perhaps no alcohol safety measure has attracted more research and public attention or shown more ... more Perhaps no alcohol safety measure has attracted more research and public attention or shown more consistent evidence of effectiveness than the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) 21 law in the United States. MLDA laws were established in the States after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 (21 st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution). Many States set the MLDA at 21 during that time. When the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1971 (26 th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution), many States lowered their drinking age to 18 or 19. Studies in the 1970s and 1980s showed significant increases in alcohol-related crashes involving youth aged 18-20 in States that lowered their drinking age. Consequently, the U.S. Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act and President Reagan signed the bill into law in 1984. Since 1988, the MLDA has been 21 in all 50 States and the District of Columbia (DC). Between 1982 and 1998, the population-adjusted involvement rate of drinking drivers aged 20 and younger in fatal crashes decreased 59 percent. MLDA-21 laws have been shown to be associated with this decline. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has estimated that MLDA laws save approximately 900 lives a year in traffic fatalities alone. 19 Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif.
The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves as... more The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves as an independent adviser to the federal government on scientific and technical questions of national importance. The National Research Council, jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, brings the resources of the entire scientific and technical community to bear on national problems through its volunteer advisory committees. The Transportation Research Board is distributing this Circular to make the information contained herein available for use by individual practitioners in state and local transportation agencies, researchers in academic institutions, and other members of the transportation research community. The information in this Circular was taken directly from the submission of the author.
Annual proceedings / Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, 2007
The minimum legal drinking age 21 (MLDA 21) legislation in the United States (U.S.) has been docu... more The minimum legal drinking age 21 (MLDA 21) legislation in the United States (U.S.) has been documented as one of the most effective public health measures adopted in recent times. This study reports on an effort to evaluate and interrelate a basic set of 16 laws directed at younger than age 21 youth that are designed to (a) control the sales of alcohol to youth, (b) prevent possession and consumption of alcohol by youth, and (c) prevent alcohol impaired driving by those younger than age 21. The first objective of this study was to determine whether there was any relationship between the existence and strength of the various underage drinking laws in a State and the percentage of younger than age 21 drivers involved in fatal crashes who were drinking. After controlling for various factors, the only significant finding that emerged was for the existence and strength of the law making it illegal for an underage person to use fake identification ( p <0.016). The second objective was...
The success of driver graduated licensing systems (GLS) is demonstrated primarily in jurisdiction... more The success of driver graduated licensing systems (GLS) is demonstrated primarily in jurisdictions that licence at young ages with requirements expiring at age 18. In Australia, GLS requirements typically apply for all applicants aged under 25. In 2007, the Queensland licensing system was strengthened, extending the learner and introducing a 100-hour supervised driving requirement, introducing restrictions on passenger carriage at night and high-powered vehicles for provisional drivers, and on phone use for all novice drivers (learner and provisional). The objective of the current research was to evaluate whether these changes were associated with reductions in crashes (all) and killed-and-serious-injury (KSI) crashes involving novice drivers, and respective casualties. Government licensing and police crash records were linked and interrupted time series analysis was used to examine potential shifts in crash trends by rates of licensed drivers per month. Substantial declines were found in novice driver crashes (13.1% per year; 95%CI-0.0130,-0.0096), crash casualties (13.9% per year; 95%CI-0.0137,-0.0101), KSI crashes (5.4% per year; 95%CI-0.0080,-0.0046) and associated casualties (5.2% per year; 95%CI-0.0075,-0.0039). Compared to the total licensed driver population, declines in crashes (3.0% per year; 95%CI-0.0027,-0.0007) and crash casualties (2.9% per year; 95%CI-0.0029,-0.0006) but not KSI outcomes were observed. More narrowly, declines were found for provisional-licensed driver crashes (9.3% per year; 95%CI-0.0096,-0.0063) and KSI crashes (3.6% per year; 95%CI-0.0004,-0.0128) that were approximately 2.6% and 1.2% greater than respective declines for 25-29-year-old open-licensed drivers. Substantial declines also were observed in novice driver single-vehicle, night, passenger and alcohol crashes. Overall, these results demonstrate that GLS can be effective in a later age licensing jurisdiction. However, KSI outcomes were limited. Modelling research is recommended on ways to further strengthen Queensland's GLS to achieve greater trauma reductions.
This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffi... more This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers' names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers.
Despite persistent efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-impaired driving cras... more Despite persistent efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-impaired driving crashes still account for 31% of all traffic fatalities. The proportion of fatally injured drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) greater than or equal to 0.08% has remained at 31-32% for the past ten years. Vehicle-based countermeasures have the potential to address this problem and save thousands of lives each year. Many of these vehicle-based countermeasures depend on developing an algorithm that uses driver performance to assess impairment. The National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) was used to collect data needed to develop an algorithm for detecting alcohol impairment. Data collection involved 108 drivers from three age groups (21-34, 38-51, and 55-68 years of age) driving on three types of roadways (urban, freeway, and rural) at three levels of alcohol concentration (0.00%, 0.05%, and 0.10% BAC). The scenarios used for this data collection were selected so that they were both representative of alcohol-impaired driving and sensitive to alcohol impairment. The data from these scenarios supported the development of three algorithms. One algorithm used logistic regression and standard speed and lane-keeping measures; a second used decision trees and a broad range of driving metrics that are grounded in cues NHTSA has suggested police officers use to identify alcohol-impaired drivers; a third used a support vector machines. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a vehicle-based system to detect alcohol impairment based on driver behavior. The algorithms differentiate between drivers with BAC levels at and above and below 0.08%BAC with an accuracy of 73 to 86%, comparable to the standardized field sobriety test. This accuracy can be achieved with approximately eight minutes of driving performance data. Differences between drivers and between roadway situations have a large influence on algorithm performance, which suggests the algorithms should be tailored to drivers and to road situations.
American communities are currently confronted with several public safety challenges: homeland sec... more American communities are currently confronted with several public safety challenges: homeland security, violent crime, illegal drugs, property crimes, and calls for service. This is also apparently true for many other countries around the world. Law enforcement resources are being stretched thin in every community in attempts to deal with these issues. Traffic law enforcement has been given a lower priority despite the fact that traffic crashes result in more deaths, injuries, and societal costs in most communities than any of the other problems. Specific traffic law enforcement strategies have been shown to be effective in reducing impaired driving. In 2003, the Fresno, California, Police Department increased impaired driving enforcement from 1 or 2 operations per year between 1998 and 2002, to 32 in 2003 and almost 130 in 2010. Not only were alcohol-related crashes reduced by 17 per cent, but burglary rates and motor vehicle theft rates per capita declined by 17 per cent and 32 pe...
Statistics ar given to show that when alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is expressed in rates ... more Statistics ar given to show that when alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is expressed in rates per mile driven, per licensed driver and per capita, young drivers have involvement rates 2 to 6 times those of older drivers. Female drivers aged 21-24 have relatively high alcohol intoxication rates in fatal crashes (compared to other female age groups). Female drinking and driving does not appear to have changed over the past 4 years for that age group. Young driver alcohol involvement rates have been decreasing. Minimum drinking age 21 along with grass roots activist groups and other alcohol programs probably played key roles in this decrease. It is suggested that the next generation target group might be drivers in their twenties, especially 21-24 year olds.
22nd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV)National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Jun 13, 2011
Despite persistent efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-impaired crashes stil... more Despite persistent efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-impaired crashes still contribute to approximately 30% of all traffic fatalities. Although enforcement and educational approaches have helped to reduce alcohol-impaired fatalities, other approaches will be required to further reduce alcohol-related fatalities. This paper describes an approach that detects alcohol impairment in real time using vehicle-based sensors to detect alcohol-related changes in drivers' behavior. Data were collected on the National Advanced Driving Simulator from 108 volunteer drivers. Three age groups (21-34, 38-51, and 55-68 years of age) drove applied to relatively demanding driving situations), to twenty-five minutes for simple algorithms (i.e., logistic regression). Timely impairment detection depends critically on the driving context: variables specific to the particular driving situation result in much more timely impairment detection than generic variables.
A gap in knowledge exists regarding drug use among drivers and other road users (pedestrians, bic... more A gap in knowledge exists regarding drug use among drivers and other road users (pedestrians, bicyclists) who are seriously or fatally injured in crashes in the United States. This study examines the prevalence of alcohol as well as selected over-the-counter, prescription, and illegal drugs in the blood of seriously or fatally injured drivers and other crash victims near the time of their crashes before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Data was collected at Level 1 trauma centers and medical examiner offices. The 3,003 participants represent a convenience sample of roadway users who were seriously or fatally injured during the study period. Trauma centers and medical examiners made available small volumes of blood for toxicological analyses from the total collected during their normal clinical procedures. The results indicate drug prevalence was high among seriously and fatally injured roadway users before the public health emergency began and was even higher during,...
Background Beginning in 2016, the Anheuser-Busch InBev Foundation (ABIF) provided funding to six ... more Background Beginning in 2016, the Anheuser-Busch InBev Foundation (ABIF) provided funding to six pilot cities to implement evidence-based interventions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and its deleterious consequences such as alcohol-impaired driving. The cities receiving funding are Alexandra Township in
Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings an... more Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers ’ names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opin... more National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers ’ names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products
the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this pu... more the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers ' names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers..
Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, a... more Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. If trade names, manufacturers ’ names, or specific products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States
Perhaps no alcohol safety measure has attracted more research and public attention or shown more ... more Perhaps no alcohol safety measure has attracted more research and public attention or shown more consistent evidence of effectiveness than the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) 21 law in the United States. MLDA laws were established in the States after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 (21 st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution). Many States set the MLDA at 21 during that time. When the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1971 (26 th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution), many States lowered their drinking age to 18 or 19. Studies in the 1970s and 1980s showed significant increases in alcohol-related crashes involving youth aged 18-20 in States that lowered their drinking age. Consequently, the U.S. Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act and President Reagan signed the bill into law in 1984. Since 1988, the MLDA has been 21 in all 50 States and the District of Columbia (DC). Between 1982 and 1998, the population-adjusted involvement rate of drinking drivers aged 20 and younger in fatal crashes decreased 59 percent. MLDA-21 laws have been shown to be associated with this decline. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has estimated that MLDA laws save approximately 900 lives a year in traffic fatalities alone. 19 Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif.
The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves as... more The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves as an independent adviser to the federal government on scientific and technical questions of national importance. The National Research Council, jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, brings the resources of the entire scientific and technical community to bear on national problems through its volunteer advisory committees. The Transportation Research Board is distributing this Circular to make the information contained herein available for use by individual practitioners in state and local transportation agencies, researchers in academic institutions, and other members of the transportation research community. The information in this Circular was taken directly from the submission of the author.
Annual proceedings / Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, 2007
The minimum legal drinking age 21 (MLDA 21) legislation in the United States (U.S.) has been docu... more The minimum legal drinking age 21 (MLDA 21) legislation in the United States (U.S.) has been documented as one of the most effective public health measures adopted in recent times. This study reports on an effort to evaluate and interrelate a basic set of 16 laws directed at younger than age 21 youth that are designed to (a) control the sales of alcohol to youth, (b) prevent possession and consumption of alcohol by youth, and (c) prevent alcohol impaired driving by those younger than age 21. The first objective of this study was to determine whether there was any relationship between the existence and strength of the various underage drinking laws in a State and the percentage of younger than age 21 drivers involved in fatal crashes who were drinking. After controlling for various factors, the only significant finding that emerged was for the existence and strength of the law making it illegal for an underage person to use fake identification ( p <0.016). The second objective was...
The success of driver graduated licensing systems (GLS) is demonstrated primarily in jurisdiction... more The success of driver graduated licensing systems (GLS) is demonstrated primarily in jurisdictions that licence at young ages with requirements expiring at age 18. In Australia, GLS requirements typically apply for all applicants aged under 25. In 2007, the Queensland licensing system was strengthened, extending the learner and introducing a 100-hour supervised driving requirement, introducing restrictions on passenger carriage at night and high-powered vehicles for provisional drivers, and on phone use for all novice drivers (learner and provisional). The objective of the current research was to evaluate whether these changes were associated with reductions in crashes (all) and killed-and-serious-injury (KSI) crashes involving novice drivers, and respective casualties. Government licensing and police crash records were linked and interrupted time series analysis was used to examine potential shifts in crash trends by rates of licensed drivers per month. Substantial declines were found in novice driver crashes (13.1% per year; 95%CI-0.0130,-0.0096), crash casualties (13.9% per year; 95%CI-0.0137,-0.0101), KSI crashes (5.4% per year; 95%CI-0.0080,-0.0046) and associated casualties (5.2% per year; 95%CI-0.0075,-0.0039). Compared to the total licensed driver population, declines in crashes (3.0% per year; 95%CI-0.0027,-0.0007) and crash casualties (2.9% per year; 95%CI-0.0029,-0.0006) but not KSI outcomes were observed. More narrowly, declines were found for provisional-licensed driver crashes (9.3% per year; 95%CI-0.0096,-0.0063) and KSI crashes (3.6% per year; 95%CI-0.0004,-0.0128) that were approximately 2.6% and 1.2% greater than respective declines for 25-29-year-old open-licensed drivers. Substantial declines also were observed in novice driver single-vehicle, night, passenger and alcohol crashes. Overall, these results demonstrate that GLS can be effective in a later age licensing jurisdiction. However, KSI outcomes were limited. Modelling research is recommended on ways to further strengthen Queensland's GLS to achieve greater trauma reductions.
This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffi... more This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers' names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers.
Despite persistent efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-impaired driving cras... more Despite persistent efforts at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-impaired driving crashes still account for 31% of all traffic fatalities. The proportion of fatally injured drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) greater than or equal to 0.08% has remained at 31-32% for the past ten years. Vehicle-based countermeasures have the potential to address this problem and save thousands of lives each year. Many of these vehicle-based countermeasures depend on developing an algorithm that uses driver performance to assess impairment. The National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) was used to collect data needed to develop an algorithm for detecting alcohol impairment. Data collection involved 108 drivers from three age groups (21-34, 38-51, and 55-68 years of age) driving on three types of roadways (urban, freeway, and rural) at three levels of alcohol concentration (0.00%, 0.05%, and 0.10% BAC). The scenarios used for this data collection were selected so that they were both representative of alcohol-impaired driving and sensitive to alcohol impairment. The data from these scenarios supported the development of three algorithms. One algorithm used logistic regression and standard speed and lane-keeping measures; a second used decision trees and a broad range of driving metrics that are grounded in cues NHTSA has suggested police officers use to identify alcohol-impaired drivers; a third used a support vector machines. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a vehicle-based system to detect alcohol impairment based on driver behavior. The algorithms differentiate between drivers with BAC levels at and above and below 0.08%BAC with an accuracy of 73 to 86%, comparable to the standardized field sobriety test. This accuracy can be achieved with approximately eight minutes of driving performance data. Differences between drivers and between roadway situations have a large influence on algorithm performance, which suggests the algorithms should be tailored to drivers and to road situations.
American communities are currently confronted with several public safety challenges: homeland sec... more American communities are currently confronted with several public safety challenges: homeland security, violent crime, illegal drugs, property crimes, and calls for service. This is also apparently true for many other countries around the world. Law enforcement resources are being stretched thin in every community in attempts to deal with these issues. Traffic law enforcement has been given a lower priority despite the fact that traffic crashes result in more deaths, injuries, and societal costs in most communities than any of the other problems. Specific traffic law enforcement strategies have been shown to be effective in reducing impaired driving. In 2003, the Fresno, California, Police Department increased impaired driving enforcement from 1 or 2 operations per year between 1998 and 2002, to 32 in 2003 and almost 130 in 2010. Not only were alcohol-related crashes reduced by 17 per cent, but burglary rates and motor vehicle theft rates per capita declined by 17 per cent and 32 pe...
Statistics ar given to show that when alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is expressed in rates ... more Statistics ar given to show that when alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is expressed in rates per mile driven, per licensed driver and per capita, young drivers have involvement rates 2 to 6 times those of older drivers. Female drivers aged 21-24 have relatively high alcohol intoxication rates in fatal crashes (compared to other female age groups). Female drinking and driving does not appear to have changed over the past 4 years for that age group. Young driver alcohol involvement rates have been decreasing. Minimum drinking age 21 along with grass roots activist groups and other alcohol programs probably played key roles in this decrease. It is suggested that the next generation target group might be drivers in their twenties, especially 21-24 year olds.
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