Cause–of–death studies indicate differences across racial/ethnic groups in the United States in the risk associated with alcohol related motor vehicle crashes. Previous research employing crash statistics has for the most part been limited to state level studies. This paper study linked data from the Fatal Analysis Reporting System on drivers fatally injured in crashes with race/ethnicity information from National Center for Health Statistics mortality files, examines ethnic group differences in behavioral risk factors for involvement in alcohol-related crashes for all 50 states. This study required the determination of the best methods for normalizing data to account for differences across groups in roadway, vehicle, economic factors were compared. Data were analyzed separately by age gender to account for differences in age gender distributions across ethnic groups. The rate of drinking-driver involvements in fatal crashes was determined based on four different measures: rate per 100,000 population, rate per 100,000 licensed drivers, rate per million vehicle miles, and rate per sober (.00 BAC) driver n a fatal crash. Of the four denominators used, the rate per sober driver in a fatal crash accounted for the most variance between ethnic groups. The differences between age race/ethnic groups in the involvement in alcohol related crashes varied significantly based on the denominators used. A consistent finding across ethnic groups was that a higher proportion of males than females were drinking when involved in fatal crash. Overall, Native Americans had the highest rates and Asian Pacific Islanders the lowest rates drinking drivers in fatal crashes
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Alcohol, Epidemiology
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.