The study included cases that were positive for alcohol in the blood at a cutoff of 0.01 g/dL and in which death occurred within 15 minutes of the accident. In fact, many of these deaths were instantaneous or nearly instantaneous, based on the injuries documented by the medical examiner at autopsy. The blood and urine were analyzed for alcohol by head-space gas chromatography; urine to blood alcohol ratios were calculated. Eleven (8.5 percent) of the 129 cases had urine to blood alcohol ratios of less than 1.0. It is likely that these individuals were in the absorptive phase at the time that the accident occurred. Thirty-two cases had a ratio between 1.0 and 1.2 inclusive. These individuals were in the plateau phase of the blood alcohol-versus-time curve. The remaining 86 cases had a urine-to-blood alcohol ratio greater than 1.2. This finding suggested that these individuals were in the post-absorptive state at the time of the accident. Findings provided additional support for the notion that the vast majority of individuals are not in the absorptive phase at the time of a traffic stop or accident. 11 references (Author abstract modified)