Drinking and driving in Singapore, 1987 to 1989

Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1992 Sep;13(3):255-60. doi: 10.1097/00000433-199209000-00019.

Abstract

Between 1987 and 1989 there were approximately 5,000 cases of fatal and injury-sustained road traffic accidents, of which 2.3-3.0% were alcohol related (blood alcohol levels greater than the legal limit of 80 mg% ethanol). The offenders of alcohol-related accidents are mostly Chinese (> 79%), male (> 98%), and more often 30-40 years old. The majority of the alcohol-related accidents (> 74%) took place between 8 P.M. and 4 A.M. in fine weather and light traffic. Rear-end, head-on, and side-on collisions comprised > 60% of all the alcohol-related accidents, and losing control of vehicles approximately 30%. Drunken driving cases for the same period that were not accidents showed a number of characteristics similar to those for accidents. In Singapore, motorcycle riders and pedestrians are more prone to road fatality than other road-user groups. International comparisons of road fatalities per 100,000 population gave Singapore one of the lowest accident rates (8.1-8.4) as compared with countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic / mortality
  • Accidents, Traffic / statistics & numerical data*
  • Adult
  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology*
  • Alcoholic Intoxication / diagnosis
  • Alcoholic Intoxication / epidemiology*
  • Automobile Driving / statistics & numerical data
  • Breath Tests
  • Ethanol / blood
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motorcycles
  • Singapore / epidemiology
  • Substance Abuse Detection

Substances

  • Ethanol