Alcohol not only increases your risk of crashing, but increases your risk of whiplash injury and death.
There is a widely held belief that alcohol keeps people from being hurt during a crash. And that sober people don’t have the benefit of that ‘protection’. In fact, most of us have seen a headline where a drunk driver runs into another vehicle, killing the occupants of the other vehicle while escaping without a scratch.
This notion comes from the idea that a drunk driver is more relaxed during a crash, and thus better able to withstand injury. This just isn’t true – I wrote about this in an earlier whiplash injury article. In reality, it’s not good to be relaxed during a crash, and there is certainly no benefit to being drunk during a crash, not for anyone involved.
Alcohol: Protection From Whiplash Injury?
So what effect does alcohol have on car crash victims? Does it have a protective effect that helps people survive crashes? Or at least help limit the extent of a whiplash injury? There have been some great studies that have attempted to answer just these questions. And the results have been confirmed by experts across a number of fields. This research has shown that alcohol actually has a doubly negative effect – when you drink and drive you’re more likely to crash, and more likely to suffer a worse injury if you do crash, including whiplash.
Alcohol Increases Your Likelihood of Being Involved in a Car Crash
Studies have shown that drinking prior to driving increases the likelihood of being in a crash. It impairs coordination and judgement, and slows reflexes. And the risk increases as the amount of alcohol consumed increases. One study found the likelihood of crashing increased 7-fold when the driver was at the legal limit, and nearly 15-fold at twice the legal limit. Drunk drivers are also more prone to going without seat belts, which can increase the risk of whiplash injury and death.
So we know that alcohol impairs your ability to drive a car, and makes crashing more likely. And this increases your chances of suffering whiplash. But what happens after a crash has occurred? What is the relationship between alcohol and car crash injuries? Is it helpful or harmful? I’m glad you asked!
Alcohol Increases the Severity of Injuries Once a Crash Has Occurred
A study of more than 1 million drivers found that a driver who had been drinking was more likely to suffer serious injury or death. They are also twice as likely to suffer more severe brain injury than non-drinkers. Another study found that drunk drivers are nearly four times more likely to suffer fatal injuries from a car crash than sober drivers. So what is it about alcohol that makes the potential for injury worse? What happened to that protective effect?
Normally when you’ve been injured, your body takes necessary steps to keep you safe . But alcohol interferes with your body’s protective mechanisms when you’ve been badly injured. It decreases your body’s tolerance to low blood pressure and shock, interferes with blood clotting, and prolongs inflammation. It can increase the amount of injury to your brain, spinal cord and internal organs. It also increases your risk of dangerous or irregular heartbeat after striking the steering column or airbags. But what if our impaired driver survives the crash and makes it to the hospital?
Alcohol Decreases Your Chance of Survival
It doesn’t get much better there. Alcohol can interfere with proper patient assessment, making diagnosis of injuries more difficult. Important medication may have to be withheld because of dangerous drug/alcohol interactions. If surgery is needed it may have to be delayed because of the risks associated with alcohol and anesthesia. An impaired state can also mask the symptoms of brain injury.
It’s pretty easy to see the message here: there is no protective effect from alcohol in a car crash. It increases the likelihood of causing a crash, and increases the risk of serious injury and death following a crash. So do yourself a favor and stay off the road if you’re going to be drinking. You might even consider staying off the roads during holidays when others are drinking. And if you are unlucky enough to be involved in a crash, make sure you get checked out by someone who specializes in whiplash injury (I would recommend a chiropractor, of course). It’s important, and could save you some grief, and pain, down the road.