{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T19:49:29Z","timestamp":1777492169958,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Vilnius University Press","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]],"date-time":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1717027200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AML"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0There is strong evidence that alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for fatal road traffic accidents. It is estimated that the number of alcohol-related road accidents remains high in the past few years in Lithuania. This study aims to examine the prevalence of alcohol in blood samples collected from the autopsy results of road traffic accident victims.Materials and methods:\u00a0A retrospective study of 136 road traffic accident victims was performed in State Forensic Medicine Service of Lithuania in the period of 2013 to 2023. We analyzed blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in relation to sex, age, road user type, place and time of the day at death.Results:\u00a031% of the victims were under influence of alcohol at the time of death, with mean BAC 1.99 \u00b1 0.92\u2030. The mean BAC was 2.16 \u00b1 0.8\u2030 in male and 1.18 \u00b1 1.12\u2030 in female group. By the type of road users, 23% of the pedestrians (mean BAC 2.45 \u00b1 0.71\u2030), 32% of car drivers (mean BAC 2.13 \u00b1 0.75\u2030), 41% of vehicle passengers (mean BAC of 1.73 \u00b1 1.19\u2030), 37% of the motorcycle riders (mean BAC of 1.28 \u00b1 0.53\u2030), 37% of the cyclists (mean BAC of 1.15 \u00b1 0.75\u2030) were found to be intoxicated during the time of accident. Highest mean blood alcohol concentration was found during the night time hours (9 p. m. \u2013 5 a. m.) 2.28 \u00b1 0.91, comparing to in afternoon hours (12 p. m. \u2013 5 p. m.) 1.49 \u00b1 0.99, evening hours (5 p. m. \u2013 9 p. m.) 2.10 \u00b1 0.73 and morning hours (5 a. m. \u2013 12 p. m.) 1.94 \u00b1 1.00. The mean BAC in road traffic accidents during summer was 1.48 \u00b1 0.71\u2030, spring 2.25 \u00b1 0.76\u2030, autumn 2.12 \u00b1 1\u2030, winter 2.42 \u00b1 1\u2030.Conclusions:\u00a0Alcohol consumption by road users is a significant contributing factor in road traffic accidents and their outcomes in Lithuania.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.15388\/amed.2024.31.1.22","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]],"date-time":"2024-05-30T00:50:06Z","timestamp":1717030206000},"page":"95-102","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania"],"prefix":"10.15388","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-9558-4033","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beata","family":"Kirstukait\u0117","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-2811-5422","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Akvil\u0117","family":"Pa\u0161kauskien\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9104-9835","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sigitas","family":"Chmieliauskas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6095-9887","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sigitas","family":"Laima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8415-5998","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diana","family":"Vasiljevait\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2501-7602","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jurgita","family":"Stasi\u016bnien\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"6097","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","unstructured":"WHO. 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