Modeling Fatal Crashes in Texas, Research Paper Example

It is a commonly known fact that drinking alcohol is a risk factor for fatal car accidents. As a consequence, many states have implemented laws that aim to incriminate drinking and driving in addition to programs that help the government understand the type of people that are most likely to engage in this risky behavior so targeted preventative measures can be taken. In Texas, someone is hurt or killed in a car crash involving alcohol every 20 minutes (TxDot, n.d.). A 2012 study measured the BAC test results of fatally injured drivers and found that 50% of these people had a BAC of 0.08 or over, which is above the legal limit (TxDot, 2012).

In order for the Texas Department of Transportation and state law enforcement agencies to be able to adequately identify and target those who are at risk for alcohol related fatal car accidents, it is necessary to examine the demographics and biological features of those who are more likely to be involved in these crashes in addition to the timing of the accidents. Risk factors could include age, gender, driving experience, employment status, and health issues, among others. A statistical analysis of the relationship between these factors and the odds of being involved in an alcohol related car accident will help lawmakers determine what could be done to reduce the number of deaths reported in the state.

It is important to analyze and improve current law enforcement procedures regarding drinking and driving because 32.3% of the people involved in fatal car accidents involved at least one person under the influence of alcohol. Compared to other accident causes, this form of car crash is completely preventable. Solutions that could reduce the number of alcohol related car crashes includes increasing the frequency of breathalyzer checks, setting up a greater number of safety checkpoints at times in which alcohol related accidents are the most frequent, increasing the penalty for alcohol related accidents, and lowering the legal BAC from 0.08 to 0.05 or below.

References

TxDot. (2012). BAC Test Results on Fatally Injured Drivers. Retrieved from http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2012/32_2012.pdf

TxDot. (n.d.). Driving While Intoxicated. Retrieved from http://www.txdot.gov/inside- txdot/division/traffic/safety/sober-safe/intoxication.html