November 25, 2010 (Press-News.org) In 1995, the United States implemented mandatory alcohol testing programs for motor carriers. Commercial truck drivers with a blood-alcohol content of .04 or higher are subject to immediate suspension.
To date, the program had not been adequately evaluated, according to J.E. Brady and colleagues at Columbia University, who recently completed a study regarding this practice. In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the researchers found that mandatory alcohol testing may have contributed to a significant reduction in alcohol involvement in fatal trucking accidents.
The scientists used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from the period between 1982 and 2006, consisting of nearly 70,000 semi drivers and more than 80,000 other drivers. Of the more than 66,000 fatal crashes involving more than one vehicle, 2.7 percent of the truckers had positive blood-alcohol concentrations, compared to 19.4 percent of other drivers.
Adjusting for the age, sex, history of alcohol-related driving offenses, and survival status, mandatory testing was found to be associated with a 23 percent reduction in risk of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes by truck drivers.
Dr. Guohua Li of Columbia University says the total number of fatal crashes per mile of travel for motor carriers has also decreased significantly since 1995. According to Li, the prevalence of alcohol-related fatal crashes among commercial truck drivers is now comparable to commercial pilots.
In comparison to these low rates across the U.S., neither Canada nor Mexico subject commercial drivers to mandatory testing. Li notes that in both nations, fatal crashes involving commercial drivers appear "much more likely to involve alcohol." The study concludes that the findings offer compelling evidence of the efficacy of the mandatory alcohol testing for truckers.
Drivers or passengers who have been injured in a truck accident should contact a personal injury attorney to determine whether alcohol or negligence contributed to the crash and to discuss any claim for damages that may exist.
Article provided by The O'Connell Law Firm, P.C.
Visit us at www.coloradoinjuryattorney.net
Study Assesses Effectiveness of Mandatory Alcohol Testing Programs
In 1995, the United States implemented mandatory alcohol testing programs for motor carriers. Drivers with a blood-alcohol content of .04 or higher are subject to immediate suspension.
2010-11-25
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Getting Treatment When You Don't Have Medical Insurance
2010-11-25
Far too many Americans are living without health insurance. In the economic downturn, millions of people have lost their jobs and accompanying medical insurance benefits. A new report from the Kaiser Foundation says the number of uninsured has risen sharply: 50 million Americans are now without health insurance.
Uninsured and in Need of Care
The passage of health reform last year provides hope for future coverage for many, but what should you do today if you're uninsured and in need of medical care?
- If you're in need of medical care, go to a hospital emergency ...
Congress Revisits Honest Services Fraud
2010-11-25
Since its inception in 1988, a doctrine known as "honest services" fraud has helped prosecutors send hundreds of public officials to jail on corruption charges. The doctrine came about when Congress rewrote mail and wire fraud statutes to specifically include schemes designed to "deprive another of the intangible right of honest services."
Simply stated, the law codifies a public official's duty of providing honest services to taxpayers. It also applies to the duty that corporate executives have to place the interests of company shareholders above their own. Traditionally, ...
Insurers Facing Suits Under No-Fault Provisions
2010-11-25
Those injured in Michigan car accidents know how difficult it is to deal with insurance companies. For those who have suffered serious injuries, the situation becomes even more complicated. Insurers will fight to keep from paying out large sums of money, even if a person is entitled to that compensation. Recent case law has changed the way insurance companies will be able to do business with those who have been injured, meaning that there are potentially millions of unpaid insurance claims throughout the state.
Michigan is a no-fault insurance state. This means that ...
Valued Opinions Finds Users Positive About Engagement in Paid Online Surveys
2010-11-25
Valued Opinions has released the findings from a poll of its member base on their overall experience and engagement level when taking paid online surveys, with the findings painting an interesting picture in terms of consumer reviews.
As technology enables market research organisations to expand their reach into demographics that traditionally speaking have been challenging to communicate with. Engaging with users is becoming increasingly important when trying to encourage users to participate in paid online surveys, and with the volume of user generated content floating ...
Prudential UK Enters Into Buy-In Agreement with GlaxoSmithKline
2010-11-25
Prudential UK has entered into two bulk annuity buy-in contracts with the Trustees of the GlaxoSmithKline ("GSK") Pension Scheme and the GSK Pension Fund for a tranche of pensioner members within their defined benefit pension schemes. The transactions cover around 15 per cent of GSK's UK defined benefit pensioner liabilities and have an aggregate value of approximately GBP900 million.
Under the terms of the agreement, GSK has purchased bulk annuity policies from Prudential which will take on responsibility for a portion of the pensioner benefits payable by the Trustees ...
Avalon Waterways Introduces New Ships to Keep Fleet Youngest on Europe's Rivers
2010-11-25
Avalon Waterways continues to be the UK's fastest growing river cruise company with the youngest fleet on Europe's waterways as ships average 2 years in age. This year saw the launch of two new ships, the MS Avalon Felicity and MS Avalon Luminary, with another due to come into service in 2011, MS Avalon Panorama.
Avalon Felicity and Luminary feature the same contemporary and innovative design as their sister ships, offering the most spacious and well-appointed staterooms in European river cruising. Sized at 172 square feet, the staterooms are the largest on Europe's ...
Lighting Up Without Lighting Up: the E Cig Version 2.0 is Now Available
2010-11-25
Some of us are familiar with the electronic cigarettes, some of us have tried earlier versions to help in the battle to quit smoking and have had some success. Well the newer, or version 2.0, units are on the shelves at stores and on the Internet now. This newer 2-piece model has the atomizer built into each refill cartridge. This technology has greatly improved the experience. These newer version 2.0 e cigs produce a much greater volume of vapor which gives the user the same exact look, taste and feel of lighting up the regular way. In fact, a recent independent study ...
Genomic 'markers' may head off thousands of thyroid surgeries
2010-11-24
AURORA, Colo. (Nov. 22, 2010) – Doctors at the University of Colorado School of Medicine were concerned recently when they found a nodule in the thyroid of a 64-year-old Colorado man. They extracted cells from the nodule, hoping to determine whether the man had cancer. But the biopsy results were inconclusive.
Even a few months ago, such uncertainty would have likely led to surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid. At least this patient would have faced a tense waiting period to see if, over time, he developed clear signs of cancer.
This time, however, the CU doctors ...
The physics of coffee rings
2010-11-24
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 23, 2010 -- For centuries, intellectuals have met at the ring-stained surfaces of coffee shops to pore over the most pressing problems of the day -- but has anyone ever pondered the coffee rings they left behind? What causes the formation of stain patterns left behind by coffee droplets on a surface?
You might think coffee ring formation, first described quantitatively by Deegan et al in a heavily cited article, is the most widely and ritualistically performed experiment in the world, given the prevalence of caffeine in cultures. But most of ...
Optimizing large wind farms
2010-11-24
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 23, 2010 -- Wind farms around the world are large and getting larger. Arranging thousands of wind turbines across many miles of land requires new tools that can balance cost and efficiency to provide the most energy for the buck.
Charles Meneveau, who studies fluid dynamics at Johns Hopkins University, and his collaborator Johan Meyers from Leuven University in Belgium, have developed a model to calculate the optimal spacing of turbines for the very large wind farms of the future. They will present their work today at the American Physical ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Everyday diabetes medicine could treat common cause of blindness
Ultra-thin metasurface chip turns invisible infrared light into steerable visible beams
Cluster radioactivity in extreme laser fields: A theoretical exploration
Study finds banning energy disconnections shouldn’t destabilise markets
Researchers identify novel RNA linked to cancer patient survival
Poverty intervention program in Bangladesh may reinforce gender gaps, study shows
Novel approach to a key biofuel production step captures an elusive energy source
‘Ghost’ providers hinder access to health care for Medicaid patients
Study suggests far fewer cervical cancer screenings are needed for HPV‑vaccinated women
NUS CDE researchers develop new AI approach that keeps long-term climate simulations stable and accurate
UM School of Medicine launches clinical trial of investigative nasal spray medicine to prevent illnesses from respiratory viruses
Research spotlight: Use of glucose-lowering SGLT2i drugs may help patients with gout and diabetes take fewer medications
Genetic system makes worker cells more resilient producers of nanostructures for advanced sensing, therapeutics
New AI model can assist with early warning for coral bleaching risk
Highly selective asymmetric 1,6-addition of aliphatic Grignard reagents to α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated carbonyl compounds
Black and Latino teens show strong digital literacy
Aging brains pile up damaged proteins
Optimizing robotic joints
Banning lead in gas worked. The proof is in our hair
Air pollution causes social instability in ant colonies
Why we sleep poorly in new environments: A brain circuit that keeps animals awake
Some tropical land may experience stronger-than-expected warming under climate change
Detecting early-stage cancers with a new blood test measuring epigenetic instability
Night owl or early bird? Study finds sleep categories aren’t that simple
Psychological therapies for children who speak English as an additional language can become “lost in translation”, study warns
20 Years of Prizes: Vilcek Foundation Honors 14 New Immigrants and Visionaries
How light pollution disrupts orientation in moths
Eduardo Miranda awarded 2026 Bruce Bolt Medal
Renowned cell therapy expert establishes new laboratory at Weill Cornell Medicine
The Spanish Biophysical Society highlights a study by the EHU’s spectroscopy group
[Press-News.org] Study Assesses Effectiveness of Mandatory Alcohol Testing ProgramsIn 1995, the United States implemented mandatory alcohol testing programs for motor carriers. Drivers with a blood-alcohol content of .04 or higher are subject to immediate suspension.