Journal article
Are you okay to drive? Commuting behaviour and blood alcohol concentrations amongst restaurant diners
Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol.18(7), pp.673-680
2017
PMID: 28436736
Abstract
Objective : Drink driving is widely recognised as a major road safety problem. In Australia, health promotion messages encourage monitoring the number of standard drinks consumed prior to driving. The pilot research aimed to investigate commuting behaviour and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of diners, including intended-drivers, at Sunshine Coast restaurants. Methods : Five hundred and forty-four diners (n = 260 males) consented to participate in a brief interview and to use a b eathalyser device to measure their BAC. Results : Forty percent of participants advised they don't drink and drive (34% of males, 45% of females; 67.25% of <17-20 years, 30.5% of 50-59 years), and of the remaining participants, 75% advised they count the number of their drinks (69% of males, 84% of females; 32% of <17-20 years, 82% of 50-59 years) while 10% of participants monitored their BAC by how they were feeling (12% of males, 6% of females). Thirty-seven percent of participants said it was easyvery easy to estimate their BAC (41% of males; 33% of females; 21% of <17-20 years, 43% of 50-59 years). The actual BAC was less than expected for 56% of participants, with one third underestimating BAC and some intended-drivers having an actual BAC in excess of the 0.05 limit. Conclusions Given the proportion of diners who reported they count the number of drinks, or use feelings as a way to gauge BAC, coupled with the considerable proportion who underestimated their BAC, a safer public health message is to avoid driving if you intend to drink. In addition, targeted intervention for experienced drivers (and, arguably, drinkers) appears warranted as every participant aged less than 21 years who stated they would drive home indeed had a zero BAC. Interestingly every female driver who stated they would be driving home also had a legal BAC, suggesting gender-specific intervention.
Details
- Title
- Are you okay to drive? Commuting behaviour and blood alcohol concentrations amongst restaurant diners
- Authors
- Bridie Scott-Parker (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and LawL Stokes (Author) - Queensland Department of Transport and Main RoadsS Panaho (Author) - Queensland Police ServiceM Cawkwell (Author) - Sunshine Coast Council (Australia)Jamie S Caldwell (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
- Publication details
- Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol.18(7), pp.673-680
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis Inc.
- Date published
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1080/15389588.2017.1293824
- ISSN
- 1538-9588
- PMID
- 28436736
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2017 Taylor & Francis Inc. Reproduced with permission. This is an electronic version of an article published in Traffic Injury Prevention, 18:7. 673-680. Traffic Injury Prevention is available online at: www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/15389588.2017.1293824
- Organisation Unit
- School of Social Sciences - Legacy; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99451170102621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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