Alcohol and road safety: Geelong experience 1967 to 1978

This paper reviews the part which prior consumption of alcohol played in motor vehicular fatalities in Geelong and district between January, 1967, and June, 1978. There were 344 deaths of persons aged 17 years and older within four hours after the accident. Of 147 such victims who were aged 17 to 50 years and who were drivers of motor vehicles. 54% had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) greater than 0.1 g/100 mL (22 mmol/L) at autopsy. Of 35 male pedestrians, 60% had a BAC greater than 0.15 g/100 mL (33 mmol/L) at autopsy, and 80% of such accidents occurred between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. A high degree of sobriety was noted among all female road traffic victims. The increasing road toll related to motorcycle accidents and the problem of legal and illegal drug use are also briefly discussed.