Alcohol Isn't Your Friend in Car Crashes

Having it in your system decreases your body's ability to withstand forces of impact

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Higher rates of speed and occupants not wearing seatbelts are two reasons why alcohol-related vehicle crashes often result in more severe injuries than crashes not involving alcohol.

Now, University of Michigan (U-M) Health System researchers have identified a third factor -- the effect that alcohol has on the body's ability to withstand the impact of crashes.

"For some reason, alcohol seems to decrease the body's tolerance to the forces one experiences in a crash. Anyone in the car who has been drinking, whether driver or passenger, is therefore at greater risk for injury," Dr. Ronald Maio, director of the U-M Injury Research Center, says in a prepared statement.

"Our research shows this can occur even if blood alcohol levels are below the legal definition of intoxication, which is .08 (80 milligrams per deciliter) in most states," Maio says.

He notes these findings contradict what many people believe -- that being drunk somehow protects a person from serious injury.

Having a designated driver is the safest way to decrease your risk of being involved in an alcohol-related crash, he says. "But keep in mind that, even with every safety precaution, the fact is that if you have alcohol in your system and you're involved in a motor vehicle crash, your injuries are going to be worse than if you didn't have alcohol in your system at the time," Maio adds.

More than 42,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes each year in the United States. Alcohol is involved in 41 percent of all motor vehicle crash fatalities and about 1 million injuries each year.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
www.healthday.com