Walking under the influence of the alcohol: A case study of pedestrian crashes in Tennessee

Alcohol adversely affects human behavior and judgment, and it is one of the contributing factors in traffic crashes. Although a large body of research has investigated driving behavior under the influence of the alcohol, to the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated the crash characteristics of the pedestrians under the influences of the alcohol. Tennessee Police Crash Data from 2011 to 2016 was used in this study to identify crashes between motor vehicles and pedestrians who were walking under the influence of alcohol (WUI). Results indicate that the number of fatally injured pedestrians for WUI cases has increased since 2011. Alcohol was present in 7% of the pedestrian crashes. Tested pedestrians averaged BAC levels of 0.17 g/dL. As pedestrian injury severity increased, the share of the WUI crashes increased. WUI contributed in 22% of the fatally injured pedestrian and only in 2% of the pedestrian crashes with no-injury. Comparisons indicate that the WUI crashes had their characteristics, which distinguished them from non-WUI crashes. Analysis indicates that 83% of the WUI crashes occurred in the nights; moreover, 54%, 69%, and 85% of WUI crashes respectively occurred on weekends, mid-block section of the road, and areas with no traffic control device. Results of a binary logit regression indicate that pedestrian's age, males, posted speed limit, and nighttime crashes had a positive association with the WUI crashes. On the other hand, urban context, intersection crashes, driver maneuvers (i.e., parking-related, turning, and straight), and daylight had a negative association with the WUI crashes. Findings are discussed in line with road safety countermeasures.