Driving Under the Influence-A Level-I Trauma Centerʼs Experience

Alcohol-impaired driving is a major issue confronting todayʼs society. New legislation is emerging to help curtail this ongoing problem. To evaluate the legislative effects in terms of outcome pertaining to injured drivers, we analyzed the records of 116 consecutive motor vehicle drivers who were admitted to our trauma center over a 16-month period. Medical reports, police reports, and driversʼ abstracts were reviewed. Of the 116 drivers, 61 (53%) had blood alcohol concentrations that exceeded the legal limit (blood alcohol level ≧ 100 mg/dL) on arrival at the emergency department. Only four of these patients were ticketed for driving under the influence and received the mandatory suspension of their driverʼs license. None was convincted of this offense, which carries criminal charges and a revocation of the driverʼs license. Mechanisms for efficient collection of blood specimens and mandatory occurrence reporting are two recommendations that merit investigation to obviate further escape of injured, intoxicated drivers from the legal net. In addition, alcohol rehabilitation and education cannot be overlooked and should warrant strong societal support.