Alcohol and other factors in California highway fatalities.

Blood alcohol concentrations, social, demographic, and medical characteristics of the persons and the types of crash were studied for 1251 highway fatalities age 15 or older who survived less than 6 hours. These comprised all such deaths among 2069 consecutive highway fatalities in three California counties. Between 35 and 69 percent, depending on the type of crash, had alcohol in their blood, usually in high concentrations. Alcohol was found most often and in highest concentrations in fatally injured persons who were age 20-59, males, Negroes, divorced or separated, or who had fatty changes of the liver or previous arrests.