One less for the road. International trends in alcohol consumption and vehicular fatalities

Abstract

We used data for the years 1965 to 1987 from 19 countries to study the relationship between per capita alcohol consumption and vehicular fatalities. Cross-sectional data for the most recent years show a strong relationship between per capita alcohol consumption and vehicular deaths (r = .83, P < .001). When we examined time trends, we noted an increase in per capita alcohol consumption and vehicular deaths for the years 1965 to 1973, a dissociation of the two variables in response to the oil crisis during the 1970s, and a recent gratifying reduction in both variables for the period 1980 to 1987. On average, for the years 1980 to 1987, a 1% reduction in per capital alcohol consumption was associated with a 1% reduction in vehicular deaths (95% confidence interval, .9 to 1.1). For many countries alcohol consumption has already peaked and these findings provide quantitative support for the beneficial effects of continued efforts to control overall per capita consumption of alcohol.