The injured drunk driver in central Texas: incidence, demographics, and legal ramifications

This study was designed to define 1 trauma center's drunk driver patient population, determine the incidence of alcohol intoxication in motorists admitted to the hospital following a collision, and ascertain the frequency of the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) charges filed against this population.

Hospitalized motorists were divided into 2 groups--those who did and did not have blood alcohol levels measured--then further classified into 3 subsets based on serum ethanol values. A 2-year retrospective trauma registry review established patient demographics, outcomes, hospital costs, blood alcohol levels, and concomitant drug use. Local police records were accessed to determine the number of patients cited for DUI.

Eighty percent of those intoxicated were men. On the average, drunk drivers were 1.7 years younger than were sober patients. Minimally to moderately intoxicated motorists had the highest overall injury severity scores and hospital costs and were the most likely to concomitantly abuse illegal drugs. Patients who did not have ethanol levels measured had the highest mortality rate.

Overall, 60% of admitted injured drivers who were tested had positive results for 1 or more substances known to impair driving ability, yet only 16% of those with a blood alcohol level of > or = 100 mg/dL were charged with DUI. This finding supports previously published data suggesting that injury and transport to a hospital protect the alcohol-impaired driver from legal consequences.