TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS CONSTITUTE A MAJOR SOCIAL PROBLEM AND REPRESENT THE GREATEST CAUSE OF VIOLENT DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES. THE FOCUS ON YOUNG DRIVERS, DRINKING WHILE INTOXICATED (DWI) OFFENDERS, AND PROBLEM DRINKERS REFLECTS A CONTINUING CONCERN IN THE ALCOHOL TRAFFIC FIELD WITH IDENTIFYING HIGH RISKS GROUPS OF DRIVERS, THOSE WHO ARE CHARACTERIZED BY OVERINVOLVEMENT IN TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS AND ACCIDENTS. BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS IN THE EVENT OF A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ARE EXAMINED IN TERMS OF TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES: (1) PATTERNING AND PREVALENCE OF ALCOHOL IN TRAFFIC CRASHES--UNCONTROLLED STUDIES (TYPES OF ACCIDENTS, TIME OF DAY AND DAY OF THE WEEK, DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, AND METHODOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS); AND (2) RELATIVE PROBABILITY OR RISK OF ACCIDENT INVOLVEMENT--RATIONALE FOR CONTROLLED STUDIES, RELATIVE RISK AS A FUNCTION OF BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT (BAC), RELATIVE RISK OVER TIME OF DAY, RELATIVE RISK AS A FUNCTION OF DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, AND RELATIVE RISK AS A JOINT FUNCTION OF BAC AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS. DRINKING PATTERNS, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS ARE EXPLORED WITH REGARD TO OVERALL INVOLVEMENT IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS (DRINKING FREQUENCY, QUANTITY OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES CONSUMED, AND QUANTITY AND FREQUENCY PATTERNS OF DRINKING BEHAVIOR) AND WITH REGARD TO ALCOHOL-RELATED DRIVING PATTERNS, ACCIDENTS, AND VIOLATIONS. THE ROLE OF PROBLEM DRINKERS OR ALCOHOLICS IN TRAFFIC EVENTS IS CONSIDERED, ALONG WITH DRIVING RECORDS OF ALCOHOLICS AND DWI OFFENDERS (PERSONALITY AND PSYCHOLIGAL FACTORS). RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY SHOWS THAT ALCOHOL IS INVOLVED IN A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. THERE ARE VARIATIONS IN OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF PROBLEM PROBLEM DRINKING AND ALCOHOLISM AND MARKED DIFFERENCES ACROSS STUDIES IN THE PROPORTION OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS THAT INVOLVE LABELED ALCOHOLICS AND PROBLEM DRINKERS. RESEARCH BASED ON DRIVING RECORDS OF HOSPITALIZED AND ACCIDENT-INVOLVED ALCOHOLICS INDICATES THAT A LARGER PROPORTION OF LABELED ALCOHOLICS THAN IN THE GENERAL DRIVING POPULATION HAS OFFICIAL RECORDS OF PREVIOUS TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, DRUNKEN DRIVING CONVICTIONS, AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (DEP)