Fatally injured drivers in Norway 2005–2015—Trends in substance use and crash characteristics

Objective: Norway introduced a “Vision Zero” strategy in 2001, using multiple approaches, aiming toward a future in which no one will be killed or seriously injured in road traffic crashes (RTCs). Official statistics show that the number of fatally injured road users has declined substantially from 341 deaths in 2000 to 117 in 2015. In-depth crash investigations of all fatal RTCs started in Norway in 2005. The aim of this study was to investigate whether fatal crash characteristics, vehicle safety features, and prevalence of drugs and/or alcohol among fatally injured drivers and riders has changed during 2005–2015, accompanying the reduction in road fatalities.

Methods: Data on all car/van drivers and motorcycle/moped riders fatally injured in RTCs during 2005–2015 were extracted from Norwegian road traffic crash registries and combined with forensic toxicology data.

Results: The proportion of cars and motorcycles with antilock braking systems and cars with electronic stability control, increased significantly during the study period. The prevalence of nonuse of seat belts/helmets and speeding declined among both fatally injured drivers and riders. In addition, the prevalence of alcohol declined, though no significant change in the total prevalence of other substances was noted.

Conclusion: The observed changes toward more safety installations in cars and motorcycles and lower prevalence of driver-related risk factors like alcohol use, speeding, and nonuse of seat belts/helmets among fatally injured drivers/riders may have contributed to the decrease in road traffic deaths.     

Driving under the influence of alcohol and the effects of alcohol prohibition—Case study in Serbia

Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) according to day of the week, specific roads (urban/rural), daytime or nighttime, and vehicle category. In addition, this study examines how the prohibition of selling alcoholic drinks in shops and supermarkets (not in restaurants) after 10 p.m. has affected the prevalence of DUI.

Method: Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) was collected from all drivers through police checkpoints at 54 locations in Serbia. In this study, 17,945 drivers were tested in urban areas and 19,507 in rural areas. The relationship between DUI during the prohibition on alcohol sales in Belgrade and other large cities in Serbia was determined using logistic regression.

Results: On average, every 100th driver in traffic in Serbia was DUI (0.99%). This study shows that the 0 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for motorcyclists does not have an influence on DUI. Moreover, motorcyclists represent the category with the highest share of DUI, with a statistically significantly larger difference compared to drivers of other vehicle categories. These results may be a consequence of the fact that a large number of drivers drive both motorcycles and other vehicle categories (cars or mopeds), so the different BAC limits for nonprofessional drivers may create confusion about the legal BAC limit.

Conclusions: This study suggests that the required legal BAC limit for nonprofessional drivers should be the same. The prohibition of selling alcoholic drinks in Belgrade after 10 p.m. does not decrease the prevalence of DUI.     

Effects of Dram Shop,Responsible Beverage Service Training,and State Alcohol Control Laws on Underage Drinking Driver Fatal Crash Ratios

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine whether three minimum legal drinking age 21 (MLDA-21) laws—dram shop liability, responsible beverage service (RBS) training, and state control of alcohol sales—have had an impact on underage drinking and driving fatal crashes using annual state-level data, and compared states with strong laws to those with weak laws to examine their effect on beer consumption and fatal crash ratios.

Methods: Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, we calculated the ratio of drinking to nondrinking drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes as our key outcome measure. We used structural equation modeling to evaluate the three MLDA-21 laws. We controlled for covariates known to impact fatal crashes including: 17 additional MLDA-21 laws; administrative license revocation; blood alcohol concentration limits of.08 and.10 for driving; seat belt laws; sobriety checkpoint frequency; unemployment rates; and vehicle miles traveled. Outcome variables, in addition to the fatal crash ratios of drinking to nondrinking drivers under age 21 included state per capita beer consumption.

Results: Dram shop liability laws were associated with a 2.4% total effect decrease (direct effects: β =.019, p =.018). Similarly, RBS training laws were associated with a 3.6% total effect decrease (direct effect: β =.048, p =.001) in the ratio of drinking to nondrinking drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes. There was a significant relationship between dram shop liability law strength and per capita beer consumption, F (4, 1528) = 24.32, p <.001, partial η² =.016, showing states with strong dram shop liability laws (Mean (M) = 1.276) averaging significantly lower per capita beer consumption than states with weak laws (M = 1.340).

Conclusions: Dram shop liability laws and RBS laws were both associated with significantly reduced per capita beer consumption and fatal crash ratios. In practical terms, this means that dram shop liability laws are currently associated with saving an estimated 64 lives in the 45 jurisdictions that currently have the law. If the remaining 6 states adopted the dram shop law, an additional 9 lives could potentially be saved annually. Similarly, RBS training laws are associated with saving an estimated 83 lives in the 37 jurisdictions that currently have the laws. If the remaining 14 states adopted these RBS training laws, we estimate that an additional 28 lives could potentially be saved.     

气相色谱法测定环境空气中异丙醇研究

建立了用气相色谱法测定环境空气中异丙醇的方法。环境空气中异丙醇以蒸馏水吸收,用(DB-624)弹性石英毛细管柱分离,直接进样分析,氢火焰离子化检测器检测。本方法以时间定性,峰面积定量,对实际样品进行分析,其异丙醇加标回收率为94.9%~104.5%,当采样体积为40 L,异丙醇最低检出质量浓度为0.05mg/m3。本方法前处理简便,分离度好干扰少,分析灵敏度高,不使用有机试剂以减少环境污染,满足环境分析要求。     

AJIC工艺处理木薯加工废水研究

采用AJIC工艺对木薯淀粉、变性淀粉、木薯酒精生产废水进行综合处理。结果表明:COD、BOD5和SS的去除率均高达99%,进水水质指标及水量处理后的废水水质可达到《农田灌溉水质标准》(GB 5084-2005)水作标准,符合国控重点污染源污染减排要求。此外,该工艺还同时实现对木薯废渣和污泥进行处理,可生产沼气595.2万立方米/年,有机肥400吨/年,实现直接经济效益422.9万元/年,具有较高的经济、环境和社会效益。     

C/N比对嗜酸细菌X-29产氢能力及其酶活性的影响

C/N比影响细菌的物质和能量代谢,为了提高产氢细菌的产氢效能,通过间歇产氢实验和酶活性分析方法,分析了在不同C/N比下嗜酸产氢细菌X-29的产氢能力以及氢化酶和乙醇脱氢酶的活性表达情况.研究结果表明,C/N比对产氢细菌的代谢及其相关酶的表达有显著的影响.虽然在不同C/N比下单位生物量的液相末端发酵产物差异不大,但是产氢能力存在显著的差异,当C/N比为14时产氢细菌X-29具有最大累积产氢量2 210.9mL/g.在不同C/N比下氢化酶的表达活性不同,氢化酶活性随着发酵的进行达到高峰后迅速降低,氢化酶的表达周期较短.乙醇脱氢酶活性随着代谢进程逐渐升高后而趋于平稳,不同C/N比时表达活性差异较小,表达周期较长.在C/N比为14时,氢化酶和乙醇脱氢酶的活性最高,分别为2.8μmol·(min·mg)^-1和33.2μmol·(min·mg)^-1.     

酒精废水治理中二级厌氧的应用与研究

本文对酒精废水治理中二级厌氧的应用进行了分析与研究,提出了高温厌氧和低温厌 氧相结合的二级厌氧新工艺。为酒精废水治理提供了一条稳定可靠、节能低耗的工艺路线。     

环己烷氧化副产物的综合利用

叙述了环己烷氧化时的副产物－轻质油的组成，性质，以及从中回收正戊醇和氧化环己烯的工业方法，介绍了这2种回收产品的应用及市场前景。     

载乙醇活性炭在微波场中的升温行为研究

研究了载乙醇活性在微波场中的升温行为，主要包括水和乙醇在微波场中的升温情况，以及微波功率，活性炭量，氮气线速对活性炭升温行为的影响，结果表明，水与乙醇在微波场中能吸收微波能，从而使其温度升高，微波功率越大，活性炭升值越快，活性炭最高温度也更高，活性炭少于5g时温度上升速率随活性炭量的增加而加快，活性炭量多于5g时则相反，氮气线速增加，活性炭升温速率下降，活性炭最高温度降低。     

Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs in the eastern part of Denmark in 2015 and 2016: Abuse patterns and trends

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the frequency of psychoactive drugs and alcohol in drivers under suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in 2015 and 2016 in the eastern part of Denmark. The trends in the number of traffic cases sent for drug analysis since 2000 and alcohol analysis since 2011 are also discussed.

Methods: Blood samples from drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or medication and/or illicit drugs in 2015 and 2016 were investigated as requested by the police. The blood samples were screened for alcohol and/or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alone, for other drugs (covering all drugs, except THC, listed in the Danish list of narcotic drugs), or for THC and other drugs. Age and gender were also recorded. The number of drug traffic cases since 2000 and the number of alcohol cases since 2011 were extracted from our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Results: In total, 11,493 traffic cases were investigated. Alcohol and/or drugs exceeded the legal limit in 9,657 (84%) cases. Men constituted 95% of the drivers investigated for drugs and 88% of the alcohol cases. The drivers investigated for drugs consisted primarily of young men, whereas drivers investigated for alcohol were older.

The frequency was higher for positive alcohol cases above the legal limit (87%) than for drug cases (76%) above the fixed concentration limit. THC (67–69%) was the most frequently detected drug above the legal limit, followed by cocaine (27–28.5%), amphetamine (17%), and clonazepam (6–7%) in both years. Morphine (5.4%), included among the 5 most frequent drugs in 2015, was replaced by methadone (4.6%) in 2016. Few new psychoactive drugs (NPS) were detected.

The number of traffic cases sent for drug analysis has increased more than 30-fold since 2000–2006, and the number of traffic cases submitted in 2016 for drug analysis was higher than the number for alcohol analysis; the latter has decreased since 2011.

Conclusion: Overall, alcohol was the most frequent compound detected above the legal limit in both years, followed by the well-known illicit drugs THC, cocaine, and amphetamine. NPS were seldom seen. One consequence of the increased focus on drugs in traffic has been an immense increase in drug traffic cases sent for analysis since 2006 in the eastern part of Denmark. Although this survey revealed only minimal changes compared to earlier investigations, surveys like this are invaluable for monitoring abuse patterns and trends in drugged and drunken driving.