People generally confuse alcohol related and alcohol caused. In short, many alcohol related crashes are not alcohol caused. On the other hand, all alcohol caused crashes are alcohol related.
Most vehicle crashes do not involve alcohol. Thus, they happen without alcohol. Of crashes that are alcohol related, many would have occurred without alcohol,
And, of course, some accidents would not have occurred except for alcohol. Those are the crashes that are alcohol caused.
Alcohol Related and Alcohol Caused
Official Stats
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) collects official crash statistics. It counts as “alcohol related” whenever a driver or pedestrian has a BAC as low as .01 percent. Yet that level doesn’t cause meaningful impairment.
In fact, the federal definition casts an even wider net. That’s because no evidence at all is required to class someone as having a .01 BAC level. All that’s required is the suspicion of such a level.
In some states, an officer checks a box indicating the suspicion of alcohol or drug use. If the officer suspects drug use (not alcohol use) that box is marked. But a check in that box is later classed as an alcohol related crash!
And what causes suspicion? Commonly, it’s an empty alcohol beverage container on the side of the road near the crash. Of course, it may have been tossed out by passing car. Therefore, it could be completely unrelated to the accident.
“Guestimates” Based on Other “Guestimates”
Then at the end of the year, NHTSA guesses how many alcohol related accidents its very wide net it has presumably missed. As a result it increases the numbers by thousands.
These “guesstimates” are reported as “alcohol related” crashes, deaths, etc. Yet editors and others assume they’re alcohol caused and present them as such.
This creates a politically useful public misunderstanding. The welfare of alcohol agencies depends on the belief that problems caused by alcohol abuse are large and growing.
According to the American Motorists Association (AMA), this exaggeration of drunk driving caused deaths causes problems. For example, it creates arbitrary legal standards, and warps enforcement priorities. It economically and socially harms millions of responsible people.
The AMA says it’s time to put an end to what it believes a deliberate campaign of misinformation.
Web
Readings
- Carr, P. Motor Vehicle Crash Data. Redesign of Federal Collection Efforts.
- Heng, K. and Vasu, A. Newspaper media reporting of motor vehicle crashes. Euro J Emer Med, 17(3), 173-6.
Note
- Now you know more about alcohol related and alcohol caused than most people. So kudos!