An analysis of alcohol and drug intake in forensic autopsy cases of traffic fatalities

The numbers of traffic accidents and its associated mortalities are decreasing every year in Japan. However, there continue to be cases of deaths and injuries caused by malicious driving including drunk driving. The forensic autopsy of traffic accident victims is important to determine the cause of death as well as the responsibility of traffic accidents. In this study, we investigated the cases of forensic autopsies related to traffic accidents, reported between 2013 and 2017, at the Department of Legal Medicine of Tokyo Women's Medical University. In this period, 22 autopsies were performed for traffic accidents; however, only 6 of them were associated with alcohol consumption. Most traffic accidents occurred during the night, and in one case, the victim was found lying on the road. Furthermore, there were 4 cases in which drugs in the blood or urine of the victim were detected; however, the actual relationship with the cause of death and traffic accident was not identified. It was also found necessary to take measures against pedestrian drinking. Moreover, only a few drugs led to a decrease in driving ability, highlighting the necessity of further data is necessary to provide insights into the type of drug consumed and the cause of accident.