[Drunkenness in traffic in Geneva: distribution and detection]

All cases of inebriety (up to the Swiss Legal BAC: 0.8 gr/kg) in traffic (pedestrians and drivers) recorded by the police during one year are the object of the study. Their frequency and blood alcohol levels are related to individual variables (sex, age, nationality) and also to environmental variables (vehicle, month, day, time). Clinical appreciation of intoxication levels by physicians taking blood samples is also verified. Inherent difficulties of methodological bias coupled to the use of official data, are examined by systematically taking into account the way in which intoxication was detected (with or without accident). In all, 951 cases of alcohol intoxication were studied.