RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To discuss the implications of widespread implementation of alcohol ignition interlocks. METHOD: We base our discussion on data from Finland including crash statistics and surveys collected from criminal justice professionals and general driving population. RESULTS: Alcohol ignition interlocks are an effective preventive measure against drunk driving when installed in the vehicles of convicted drunk drivers. However, once they are removed from the vehicles, drivers typically return to their habit of drinking and driving. Furthermore, for a number of reasons, the proportion of convicted drunk drivers that install an interlock in their vehicles is quite small. Therefore, many stakeholders believe that the solution to the drunk driving problem will come when interlocks become standard equipment in all new vehicles. However, drunk driving is a complex sociopsychological problem, and technology can rarely offer a solution to such complex problems. Consequently, many aspects of such interventions might be difficult to identify and include in cost-benefit analysis. CONCLUSION: We express caution about requiring an interlock as standard equipment in all new vehicles.
Asunto(s)
Intoxicación Alcohólica , Conducción de Automóvil/legislación & jurisprudencia , Automóviles/normas , Equipos de Seguridad/estadística & datos numéricos , Accidentes de Tránsito/mortalidad , Accidentes de Tránsito/prevención & control , Pruebas Respiratorias/instrumentación , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Bases de Datos Factuales , Diseño de Equipo , Finlandia , Humanos , Equipos de Seguridad/economía , Opinión PúblicaRESUMEN
Fatigue is a major cause of road traffic accidents. However, due to the blurred concept of fatigue and the lack of reliable testing devices (cf. the breath analyzer for alcohol levels), it is extremely difficult to incorporate fatigue in operationalized terms into either traffic or criminal law. Even though the Finnish Road Traffic Act explicitly forbids driving while tired, it is done only on a general level among other factors (sickness, etc.) that impair a driver's fitness to drive (Article 63). The present study was done to investigate the circumstances of fatigue driving offenses. From the Finnish Vehicle Administration driver record database we extracted all drivers (N=768) punished under Article 63 from 2004-2005. Of these drivers, 90.4% committed a fatigue-related traffic offense. Accidents, predominantly single vehicle, were the most common (92.5%) consequence of fatigued driving. Although fatigue-related accidents are thought to be serious, our data shows that most of the accidents (81.6%) did not involve personal injuries. Almost every twentieth driver was punished because his vehicle was drifting on the road. The presence of alcohol or drugs was noted in 13% of the cases. Only 3.1% of the punished drivers officially denied being tired or falling asleep. Young men (< or =35 yrs) represented 50% of all punished drivers. Time of day and seasonal effects were clear in this data. This study shows that even without a reliable fatigue detector and unambiguous criteria for recognizing the contribution of fatigue to accident causation, Finnish police and the courts punish a significant number of drivers every year on the basis of fatigue.
Asunto(s)
Accidentes de Tránsito/legislación & jurisprudencia , Conducción de Automóvil/legislación & jurisprudencia , Automóviles/legislación & jurisprudencia , Fatiga , Seguridad/legislación & jurisprudencia , Vigilia , Accidentes de Tránsito/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto , Crimen , Bases de Datos Factuales , Femenino , Finlandia , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Seguridad/estadística & datos numéricos , Estaciones del AñoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Recognizing road accidents as sleep/fatigue-related is a challenging task due to the lack of validated criteria and reliable devices (cf. breath analyzer for alcohol levels). Consequently, it is difficult to incorporate fatigue in operationalized terms into either traffic or criminal law. Finnish Road Traffic Act explicitly forbids driving while tired but only on a general level regarding the driver's fitness to drive. The aim was to explore and compare the discussions held and conclusions reached by multidisciplinary accident-investigation teams and Finnish courts. METHODS: We describe nine fatal head-on crashes in which, according to the multidisciplinary investigation teams, the guilty nonintoxicated surviving driver had fallen asleep and caused the death of an occupant in the other vehicle. RESULTS: Despite the obvious difficulties with the data collection, the investigation teams provided sufficient information and explanation as to why falling asleep was the most probable cause of these nine accidents. On the other hand, there was wide variation in the court discussions and decisions. The court extensively deliberated on the role of fatigue in the four cases and only one driver was charged under the article of the Road Traffic Act covering driver fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study illustrates difficulties in enforcing the law that forbids driving while tired. Although multidisciplinary investigation teams analyze fatal accidents for safety-research purposes, and have a wider degree of freedom when making their conclusions, we believe that such expert evidence would be beneficial to the courts when they consider similar cases.
Asunto(s)
Accidentes de Tránsito/legislación & jurisprudencia , Accidentes de Tránsito/mortalidad , Conducción de Automóvil/legislación & jurisprudencia , Fatiga/complicaciones , Accidentes de Tránsito/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Conducción de Automóvil/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Finlandia , Humanos , Lactante , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Privación de Sueño/complicacionesRESUMEN
The aims of the present study were to determine the current prevalence of personal car usage for holiday trips among Finnish conscripts and to analyze conscripts' fatal road accidents. The data included questionnaire data collected from 259 young conscripts at a garrison in southeastern Finland and data on 46 fatal road accidents caused by conscripts during the years 1991-2004, extracted from the national database of fatal road accidents studied in depth. The questionnaire data showed that one-third (35.9%) of young Finnish conscripts had used personal cars to travel to or from the garrison in the preceding 2 months. More than one-half of them reported driving while fatigued (a majority reported several occasions of such driving). In addition to those driving themselves, 41.6% of the conscripts rode at least occasionally as a passenger in a car driven by a fellow conscript. Analysis of the fatality data showed that one-half of the conscripts' fatal accidents occurred on the way to or from the garrison or while on duty. Falling asleep was the main cause of all conscripts' accidents (34.8%), with the largest proportion occurring when departing for leave (42.9%). Haste (including speeding) was the second greatest factor contributing to accidents occurring on the way to or from the garrison (26.1%), whereas drunk driving (22.7%) and suspected suicides (18.2%) were typical of accidents occurring on leave.
Asunto(s)
Accidentes de Tránsito/mortalidad , Automóviles/estadística & datos numéricos , Medicina Militar , Personal Militar , Accidentes de Tránsito/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Recolección de Datos , Bases de Datos como Asunto , Finlandia/epidemiología , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalencia , Factores de Riesgo , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
Road accidents related to sleep show a clear time-of-day pattern. Following the previous finding that such accidents in Finland happen more often (absolutely and relatively) during the summer months, especially during the afternoon, the main aim of this study was to reveal the factors behind such seasonality. The data included the computerized database of the Finnish fatal road accident investigation system restricted to nonprofessional, non-intoxicated car drivers (N=1464) and sample of the original folders (N=101). The results of the analysis on the sample of the original folders showed that investigation teams adequately documented and explained their decisions concerning falling-asleep accidents and that the observed seasonality is a real phenomenon, not a result of bias of the teams. With the exception of 26-35-year-olds, men of all of the other age groups had a notable absolute and relative increase of sleep-related accidents in the summer. Young male drivers (< or =25 yrs), followed by the oldest group (> or =66 yrs) had the highest increase in the absolute number of sleep-related accidents between the summer and winter months, while the relative change was the highest for ages 56-65. Women showed similar trends. A detailed analysis of 44 cases of summer afternoon falling-asleep accidents revealed that many drivers were engaged in unusual activities the day or night before the accident. The findings are discussed in relation to different driving and lifestyle habits between seasons, including sleep quality. Preliminary results of this study were presented at the 17th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Prague 2004.