{"title":"[Changes in the spectrum of alcohol-induced traffic accidents in relation to blood alcohol level].","authors":"H T Haffner, D Erath, M Graw","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A retrospective study was undertaken to determine whether the degree of alcohol intoxication has an effect on the driving performance with regards to both the quantity and quality. A total of 625 accidents caused by drivers who were under the influence of alcohol were reviewed. They were divided into three groups according to the blood alcohol concentration (BAC):0.30 - 1.09 g/kg, 1.10 - 1.99 g/kg and > 2.00 g/kg. In order to exclude the influence of factors unrelated to alcohol, the groups were matched for age, sex, location of accident and the light and road conditions. This resulted in a total of 85 accidents in each group. The accidents were classified with reference to the \"Register of causes of accidents\" used in road accident statistics. The three groups differed significantly in their causes of accidents (p < 0.025), although those due to speeding dominated in each group. In the group with low BAC, the next most common accidents were the ones caused by failure to give way. In the group with medium BAC, rear-end collisions and accidents occurring during low speed manoeuvres were the second most common. In the group with highest BAC, the next most common causes of accidents were the leaving of the correct traffic lane unassociated with speeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"33 2","pages":"78-83"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19654545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Test performance with minimal alcoholic intoxication].","authors":"G Bartl, F Lager, L Domesle","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Driving ability of 34 males under minor influence of alcohol was tested at the ART 90 test unit of the Austrian Road Safety Board. Furthermore, 22 males not under the influence of alcohol, formed part of the sober control group. Some months previously, all volunteers had completed a driver aptitude test consisting of identical tests for all participants. Therefore a before-and-after analysis as well as a comparison of the different groups could be carried out by means of MANOVA. A high motivational level was guaranteed in the first tests as all test persons' driver qualification depended on the results of their driver aptitude tests. Months later they were invited to participate in this study on a voluntary basis. The second tests took place immediately after a social evening at which 8 volunteers were present at any one time. To create conditions as near to reality as possible, only alcohol that would be readily available to the public was served. An entertainer ensured an equally cheerful and relaxed atmosphere in both the experimental and control groups. Alcohol levels were measured by means of the Siemens breathalyser. Results show that as early as an average alcohol level of 0.67/1000 performance is significantly impaired: three times more errors in concentration tests, twice as many errors in reaction tests, twice as many observation errors in visual structuring and a considerable reduction of reactive stress tolerance. On the other hand quantitative dimensions of performance such as reaction time are not significantly impaired. In addition, the readiness to take risks increases with alcohol consumption as is shown by means of questionnaire.</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"33 1","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19748553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Self-assessment of blood alcohol content in acute alcoholic intoxication].","authors":"S Seidl, M Scheller, G Reinhardt","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During a drinking experiment 20 young male volunteers were asked to estimate the amount of their BAC and commented on their driving ability and their readiness to participate in road traffic. During the resorption phase the majority of the volunteers estimated their BAC too low, whereas in the early elimination phase most of their estimates were to high. The majority of the volunteers felt able to drive throughout the whole experiment which demonstrates an impairment of essential control functions as early as low to medium alcohol intoxication.</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"33 1","pages":"23-30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19748558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Concentration dependent ethanol metabolism in steady-state].","authors":"H D Wehner, M C Schieffer, S Krauss, M Hubig","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ethanol infusion rates necessary to maintain steady-state ethanol concentrations are dependent on the actual ethanol concentration in a monotonous increasing manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"33 1","pages":"17-22"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19748557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Change in automobile driving capacity assessment--a contribution to the correlation between diagnosis and therapy].","authors":"B Pund, G Kajan","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The repeated demand for the introduction of an organisational separation of medical-psychological assessment from drink rehabilitation of drink driving offenders and other types of offenders is mainly sustained by the fear of a possible loss of the experts' neutrality, objectivity and independence. In addition to that there is the fear of an economic conflict within an organisation offering both medical-psychological assessment and rehabilitation courses for drink driving offenders. In the event of a clash of interests resulting in the demand of a complete organisational separation, the consequences of such a separation would have to be dealt with. The separation of fields of work which, in substance, are closely related from the scientific point of view and in respect of the underlying conceptual basis would result in: a substantial reduction of experience of assessment experts (who will no longer be able to gather experience with rehabilitation and/or therapy) an equally substantial reduction of experience of therapists (who will no longer be able to be involved in diagnostics). As in other branches where there are opposing views from within the society, this development is avoidable. Instead of neglecting professional standards appropriate safety and control instruments should be installed in order to diminish economic conflicts. Quality management and control according to ISO 9000 would be an appropriate measure to enable the administrative body to exclude any misuse of the experts' role.</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"33 1","pages":"31-43"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19748561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Driving ban--a blunt weapon? Response to the comment by Bode].","authors":"R G Zabel","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"33 1","pages":"44-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19749008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Revoked driving right--a blunt weapon?].","authors":"H J Bode","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>I would like to complete and correct the article by Zabel in Blutalkohol XXXII (1995), 254 ff. by adding that the driving ban after speeding offences does not lead to a reduced risk of relapse. Furthermore, the standard federal list of offences punishable by fines is also valid in the Free State of Bavaria, and the principle of in dubio pro securitate is unknown in the German criminal law.</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"32 6","pages":"314-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1995-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19559292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Determining the duration of suspended license for alcohol intoxicated drivers].","authors":"W Winkler","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Public safety on the road and the need of each individual to participate in road traffic call for drink drivers to be dealt with legally. They should be dealt with in a preventive, successful and individual manner. The insuperable difficulties encountered by a criminal judge when having to determine the type, extent and duration of the offence as well as determining the motivation for improvement, would justify the judge not having to determine the period of suspension as well. This could be achieved by introducing a minimum period of suspension for all offenders. For those interested in reacquiring their driving licence, directives should be imposed so that appropriate and individual steps can be taken right at the beginning of their suspension, in order that their suitability for road traffic can be restored. In that case Sunder's question asked at the beginning could be answered as follows: \"The authority to withdraw driving licences should not be withdrawn from the judge.\"</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"32 6","pages":"305-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1995-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19559291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F Musshoff, T Daldrup, W Bonte, A Leitner, A Nimmerichter, H Walter, O M Lesch
{"title":"[Ethanol-independent methanol elimination in chronic alcoholics].","authors":"F Musshoff, T Daldrup, W Bonte, A Leitner, A Nimmerichter, H Walter, O M Lesch","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>72% of a collective of chronic alcoholics (DSM-III-R, ICD 9), who were admitted under the influence of alcohol in order to undergo alcohol withdrawal, showed a serum methanol concentration (SMC) above 10 mg/l. This level is usually considered to be the one for the detection of regular alcohol consumption. The SMC values were considerably higher in cases where alcoholic beverages with a higher methanol content were consumed rather than the ones lower in methanol. In the majority of patients a decrease of the methanol concentration could only be detected once an individually varying limit concentration of ethanol (0-0.62 g/kg) was reached. There were, however, a few exceptions where the elimination of methanol independent from the ethanol concentration could be seen. Contrasting the general collective, these 'ethanol independent' methanol eliminators showed a much higher serum level of ethanol and methanol at the time of admission. As a sign of addiction, all patients showed increased beta 60 values for ethanol and preferred high proof beverages, which at the same time have high methanol contents.</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"32 6","pages":"317-36"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1995-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19559294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Congener analysis in a drinking trial with unusually high alcohol content].","authors":"G Schmitt, G Skopp, R Aderjan, R Mattern","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aforementioned case proves very convincingly that a very high dose of alcohol consumed within a short time span can be absorbed completely within 2 hours. Numerical models based on low to moderate alcohol consumption were lower than expected in cases of severe alcohol intake. The claim of alcohol consumption after an event can best be verified by means of a drinking experiment under intensive medical supervision.</p>","PeriodicalId":77045,"journal":{"name":"Blutalkohol","volume":"32 6","pages":"337-43"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1995-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19559814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}