This paper discusses some of the human factors involved in the occurrence of road traffic accidents, and in particular those which are related to the drivers of the motor vehicles concerned. The occurrence of injury and death among persons involved in such accidents now ranks among the major public health tragedies of modern living. The paper discusses also the results and circumstances surrounding the various legislative measures which have been introduced in the State of Victoria since 1965 in an attempt to reduce and prevent injury and death among motor vehicle occupants, including children under eight years of age.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BorkensteinR. J.CrowtherR. F.ShumateR. P. (1964) The Role of the Drinking Driver in Traffic Accidents, Department of Police Administration, Indiana University.
2.
ColwellB. B.PennerD. W.SmithH. W. (1958) Effect of ingestion of distilled spirits on automobile driving skill, Quarterly J. Studies Alcohol, 19, 590.
3.
FranksH. M.HensleyV. R.HensleyW. J. (1979) The interaction between ethanol and antihistamines, Med. J. Aust., 1, 185.
4.
GoldbergL. (1943) Quantitative studies on alcohol tolerance in man, Acta Physiol. Scand.5, Suppl. 16, 1.
5.
HolcombR. L. (1938) Alcohol in relation to traffic accidents, J. Amer. Med. Ass., 111, 1076.
6.
IsraelstamS.LambertS. (eds) (1975) Alcohol, drugs and traffic safety, Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, Toronto, 1974, Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario, Toronto.
7.
LevettJ.KarrasL.HoeftG. (1974) Alcohol, drugs and traffic safety, Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, Toronto, 1974, II, 310.
8.
LoomisT. A.WestT. C. (1958) The influence of alcohol on automobile driving ability, Quarterly J. Studies Alcohol, 19, 30.
9.
LucasG. W. H.KalowW.McColl (1953) Quantitative studies of the relationship between alcohol levels and motor vehicle accidents, Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Alcohol and Road Traffic, Toronto, p 139.
10.
MilnerG. (1972) Drugs and driving In: Monographs on Drugs (1972) AveryG. S. (ed.), Australasian Drug Information Services Pty. Ltd., Sydney, vol. 1.
11.
PlueckhahnV. D. (1978) Alcohol and road safety: Geelong experience 1967 to 1978, Med. J. Aust., 2, 615.
12.
PlueckhahnV. D. (1979) Lectures on Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 3rd edition, University of Melbourne Printing Services, Melbourne, Ch 18.
13.
Questions in the Commons (1979) Seat Belts and crash helmets, B.M.J.I, 898.
14.
SkeggD. C. G.RichardsS. M.RichardDoll (1979) Minor tranquillisers and road accidents, B.M.J., I, 917.
15.
SmartR. J. (1974) Marihuana and driving risk among college students, Journal of Safety Research, 6, 155.
16.
Traffic Accident Research Unit (1975) Alcohol, Drugs and Accident Risk, New South Wales Department of Motor Transport, NSW Government Printer, Sydney.
