A new study has indicated that even a slight amount of alcohol intake makes a Driver more likely to be at fault in a car accident.
The study which was published in the respected journal ‘Injury Prevention’ analysed fatal car crash data from more than 570,000 collisions between 1994 and 2001. The analysis showed that there appears to be no safe level of alcohol in the blood when it comes to driving.
The Researchers analysed drivers blood alcohol content (BAC) as well as clear indications of blame for an accident such as a driver running a red light or driving in the wrong lane. At .01 BAC the lowest level reported, a driver was 46% more likely to be solely at blame for a collision according to Reuters Health. For an average adult male, 12oz of beer will result in a .01 BAC, a level well below the legal driving limit of 0.8. In Ireland the legal limit for fully licenced drivers is 50mg’s of alcohol per 100ml of blood. As blood alcohol levels rose, the Researchers found that so too did the likelihood of blame for an accident.
Speaking about the study’s findings Liam Moloney, Injury Lawyer said today “in many European Countries, the legal blood alcohol limit is even lower than in Ireland. The study’s findings clearly show that only a zero blood alcohol content can truly be considered safe. This research therefore strongly indicates that the limit should not be lowered further”
