DR. WALLACE: I'm told that when drunk people are involved in an automobile accident, they rarely get seriously injured while the sober people get killed or maimed. Is this possible? -Jake, Brookhaven, Miss.

JAKE: It's a myth that drunks are less likely to be injured in an auto accident. If you have been drinking and are involved in a serious auto accident, you face twice the risk of dying from your injuries as those in the car who haven't been imbibing.

In other words, the notion that people who have been drinking are protected from injury because they are "relaxed" is false, according to University of Michigan Medical Center researchers.

"Alcohol worsens any injury resulting from an impact — it renders the person more vulnerable," says Patricia Waller, director of the U of M Transportation Research Institute and a research scientist in the Department of Psychiatry.

"You can have a designated driver who is completely sober and hasn't touched a drop, but if someone else runs a traffic light and you're in the front seat, the chance of your being injured or killed is higher than if you had never been drinking," Waller reports.

Still, the myth that "drunks are safe" persists, she says. "Even now you will get police officers who swear that a drunk driver will walk off from an accident unscathed while all the sober victims are maimed and mutilated."

Dr. Waller studied how blood alcohol levels relate to the severity of motor vehicle crashes and came up with an unexpected finding. "When we took into account how badly the car was crushed, for example, we found that if the driver had been drinking, he or she was more likely to be seriously injured."

SHE'S SMART NOT TO TAKE A CHANCE

DR. WALLACE: Last night we hired a 15-year-old girl to babysit from 7:30 p.m. to midnight because my husband was being honored at his workplace.

When we got home, my husband offered to drive the sitter home because of the late hour, but she said her parents did not allow her to ride in a car with an "unfamiliar man." My husband and I were both taken by surprise and frankly, we were offended. Her refusal made it sound like she was afraid my husband might attempt to molest her.

My husband is an upright citizen and a compassionate person who would never harm anyone in any way. The girl was an excellent babysitter and all three of our children liked her, but we feel uncomfortable about this, and will not be asking her to babysit our children again. — Mother, Elizabethtown, Ky.

MOTHER: You and your husband are seriously overreacting. This is a simple, sensible precaution, hardly something to be taken personally. Most parents have such a rule for their daughters these days. And sad to say, they aren't being overly protective.

The molestation phenomenon is all too common. I have received numerous letters from girls asking my advice after a husband or boyfriend who has made unwanted advances while driving her home from a babysitting job. If the babysitter doesn't know the man, she's wise not to take a chance. And you and your husband would do well to respect such a decision.

I do hope you rethink your decision not to use this girl again as a babysitter. What matters is that she did a good job and your children liked her. When your young ones are old enough to be babysitters, you'll understand what the fuss is all about.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Martin Fisch