Trend in Alcohol-related Crashes Before and After the Introduction of Mandatory Breath Testing Among Commercial Truck Drivers
Background: Since 2011, commercial truck drivers have been required to take alcohol breath tests at the beginning and end of their working hours due to their employers’ legal obligations. However, non-commercial truck drivers are not required to do so. We examined whether alcohol-related crashes had...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Japan Epidemiological Association
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Epidemiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jea/33/11/33_JE20220054/_pdf |
| _version_ | 1797635714404319232 |
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| author | Masao Ichikawa Haruhiko Inada Kota Katanoda Shinji Nakahara |
| author_facet | Masao Ichikawa Haruhiko Inada Kota Katanoda Shinji Nakahara |
| author_sort | Masao Ichikawa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Since 2011, commercial truck drivers have been required to take alcohol breath tests at the beginning and end of their working hours due to their employers’ legal obligations. However, non-commercial truck drivers are not required to do so. We examined whether alcohol-related crashes had decreased after 2011 among commercial truck drivers. Methods: Using police data, we conducted a joinpoint regression analysis to examine the trend in the proportion of alcohol-related crashes from 1995 through 2020 caused by commercial truck drivers (who were subjected to alcohol breath testing) and non-commercial truck drivers (who were not subjected to testing). The annual percentage change in this trend was also estimated. Results: During the 26-year study period, truck drivers caused 1,846,321 at-fault crashes, and 0.4% of the crashes involved intoxicated driving. A significant decreasing trend in the proportion of alcohol-related crashes was identified among both commercial and non-commercial truck drivers in the 2000s, during which several legal amendments were made against drunk driving. The annual percentage change was −13.5% from 2001 to 2012 among commercial truck drivers, and −14.9% from 2001 to 2011 among non-commercial truck drivers. No decreasing trend was observed afterwards, despite the introduction of mandatory alcohol breath testing in 2011. Conclusion: The effect of mandatory alcohol breath testing on reducing alcohol-related crashes among commercial truck drivers was not evident. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:25:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-08580b7a09774d058e01ed03c3757cec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0917-5040 1349-9092 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:25:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Japan Epidemiological Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Epidemiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-08580b7a09774d058e01ed03c3757cec2023-11-06T09:27:57ZengJapan Epidemiological AssociationJournal of Epidemiology0917-50401349-90922023-11-01331155656110.2188/jea.JE20220054Trend in Alcohol-related Crashes Before and After the Introduction of Mandatory Breath Testing Among Commercial Truck DriversMasao Ichikawa0Haruhiko Inada1Kota Katanoda2Shinji Nakahara3Department of Global Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JapanJohns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USADivision of Surveillance and Policy Evaluation, National Cancer Center Institute for Cancer Control, Tokyo, JapanGraduate School of Health Innovation, Kanagawa University of Human Services, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, JapanBackground: Since 2011, commercial truck drivers have been required to take alcohol breath tests at the beginning and end of their working hours due to their employers’ legal obligations. However, non-commercial truck drivers are not required to do so. We examined whether alcohol-related crashes had decreased after 2011 among commercial truck drivers. Methods: Using police data, we conducted a joinpoint regression analysis to examine the trend in the proportion of alcohol-related crashes from 1995 through 2020 caused by commercial truck drivers (who were subjected to alcohol breath testing) and non-commercial truck drivers (who were not subjected to testing). The annual percentage change in this trend was also estimated. Results: During the 26-year study period, truck drivers caused 1,846,321 at-fault crashes, and 0.4% of the crashes involved intoxicated driving. A significant decreasing trend in the proportion of alcohol-related crashes was identified among both commercial and non-commercial truck drivers in the 2000s, during which several legal amendments were made against drunk driving. The annual percentage change was −13.5% from 2001 to 2012 among commercial truck drivers, and −14.9% from 2001 to 2011 among non-commercial truck drivers. No decreasing trend was observed afterwards, despite the introduction of mandatory alcohol breath testing in 2011. Conclusion: The effect of mandatory alcohol breath testing on reducing alcohol-related crashes among commercial truck drivers was not evident.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jea/33/11/33_JE20220054/_pdfcommercial driverdrunk drivingmotor vehicle collisionprevention |
| spellingShingle | Masao Ichikawa Haruhiko Inada Kota Katanoda Shinji Nakahara Trend in Alcohol-related Crashes Before and After the Introduction of Mandatory Breath Testing Among Commercial Truck Drivers Journal of Epidemiology commercial driver drunk driving motor vehicle collision prevention |
| title | Trend in Alcohol-related Crashes Before and After the Introduction of Mandatory Breath Testing Among Commercial Truck Drivers |
| title_full | Trend in Alcohol-related Crashes Before and After the Introduction of Mandatory Breath Testing Among Commercial Truck Drivers |
| title_fullStr | Trend in Alcohol-related Crashes Before and After the Introduction of Mandatory Breath Testing Among Commercial Truck Drivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trend in Alcohol-related Crashes Before and After the Introduction of Mandatory Breath Testing Among Commercial Truck Drivers |
| title_short | Trend in Alcohol-related Crashes Before and After the Introduction of Mandatory Breath Testing Among Commercial Truck Drivers |
| title_sort | trend in alcohol related crashes before and after the introduction of mandatory breath testing among commercial truck drivers |
| topic | commercial driver drunk driving motor vehicle collision prevention |
| url | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jea/33/11/33_JE20220054/_pdf |
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