Hit the bottle and run: the role of alcohol in hit-and-run pedestrian fatalities. 1994

S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

Alcohol is associated both with motor vehicle crashes and with crime. We examine the role of alcohol in hit-and-run collisions, based on pedestrian fatalities recorded in the Fatal Accident Reporting System. In 19% of all pedestrian fatalities in 1989 and 1990, the driver left the scene. Time of the accident is available for all pedestrian fatalities. Strong evidence for the influence of alcohol on hit-and-runs is the greater proportion of hit-and-runs at night and during the weekend, two periods when drivers are more likely to be drinking. Half of hit-and-run motorists are eventually identified. Compared to those who remain at the scene, the identified hit-and-run motorists are far more likely to have had a previous arrest for driving while intoxicated. They are also disproportionately young and male, two factors associated with drinking and driving. Only a fraction of drivers are tested for blood alcohol concentration (BAC); those who left the scene are more likely to have a positive BAC. Two theories--the rational decision theory and the personality theory--help explain why drunk drivers are more prone to run after hitting a pedestrian.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D012008 Recurrence The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. Recrudescence,Relapse,Recrudescences,Recurrences,Relapses
D002423 Cause of Death Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint. Causes of Death,Death Cause,Death Causes
D004924 Escape Reaction Innate response elicited by sensory stimuli associated with a threatening situation, or actual confrontation with an enemy. Flight Reaction,Escape Reactions,Flight Reactions,Reaction, Escape,Reaction, Flight,Reactions, Escape,Reactions, Flight
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000063 Accidents, Traffic Accidents on streets, roads, and highways involving drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or vehicles. Traffic accidents refer to AUTOMOBILES (passenger cars, buses, and trucks), BICYCLING, and MOTORCYCLES but not OFF-ROAD MOTOR VEHICLES; RAILROADS nor snowmobiles. Traffic Collisions,Traffic Crashes,Traffic Accidents,Accident, Traffic,Collision, Traffic,Collisions, Traffic,Crashes, Traffic,Traffic Accident,Traffic Collision
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly

Related Publications

S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
March 2012, Accident; analysis and prevention,
S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
March 2001, Accident; analysis and prevention,
S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
February 2014, Drug and alcohol dependence,
S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
June 2001, Forensic science international,
S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
May 1967, IMJ. Illinois medical journal,
S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
September 1993, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report,
S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
April 2013, Accident; analysis and prevention,
S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
September 1963, Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1896),
S J Solnick, and D Hemenway
October 2003, Annals of emergency medicine,
Copied contents to your clipboard!