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PAGE 18. WHITY PMEEPRESS, WEDNE9DAY, JANUARY 2m, 1892 Smoking may-be ik facor ,.in autacie s By David Heller ofCanadian Science News. Cigaret smoking has long been associated with the three leading causes of death: cancer, stroke and heart diseas. Now research conducted by Dr. James Brison, MD) and assistant profossor at Queen's University in Kingaor, suggests smoking is ae a risk factor for auto accidentsý, which make up the, lio's ésharo of the fouth leachng cause of death, accidents. Brisen analyzed questionnares flledout by 595 idiiduals Who had been involved in . a motor vehicle accident, and 548 pereons with ne known history c' f accidents. Ail participants in the survey wore males between the ages of 30 and 40 living in Seattle, Washington, where Brison was doing post-graduato research when ho collected the data. lhe survey asked about accident history, smoking habit%, smoking while dziving, driving habits, age and marital sttus. Those involved in an accident were aIse asked te report whether or net they were responsible for ALSEASON *Pinnacbe GT * - performance design - ralsed white letter tires à Ratecl - performance ratlng of 90,000 km. *Pinnacle Steel Befted RadiaI* - white wall / black walI - touring design -100,000 km performance rating -SARate * Ultr MKV* - performance ratlng 80,000 km -white wall / black walI ilwhrodaar The results, reveaeled that the smoloesi this study were SOper cent more likely to have caused a car accident than the group considered as a whole. Previoualy, studies have found associationâ between smoking and workplace accidents, between smoking and iiijury sevority, betweensmoking and reduced life expectancy, and hotween smoking and suicide. Whether or net smoking aise incroases automobile accident risk romnains a. matter of C considerable controversy among TRUCK TIRE LINE-UP Roadhawk AT whitelettered Weathergard MKV LT MKVI LT ail season radial WE SEL A WIU SELETION 0.ATLASAUTO.A.TS...$T.......~ ~ W E S P E C A LI E iN A U G M E W ' Ri ........ .. . .. . . . Complote Automotive Servicèe 107-B Warren Rd., Whitb9 430-0298, the auto insurance.-in dustry,, Brison says. The associ*ation ý-,betweeýn smoking and accidents may ho due in parLt te the fact, discovered by other studios,'that, as a group, smokers are more 'likely te, abuse alcohol and are more lilely o have carelesa attitudes aot issues such as seat hoît use than are non-emokers, Bri son says. The association ' btween smoking and accidents may thus ho 'seconda-y,' due te the fact that alcohol abuse and careles attitudes, which contributo teo accident risk, are more - omnmon among smokers, ho addsi'- Hlowever, in Brisons'sstudy, smcikers who stated they do net smoke while driving - had ne higher risk >cf accidents than non-smokers. Incroasod risk of accidents was only observed, in those who amoke and drive simultaneously, sud the level 0f risk rose as the frequency of. smoking while drî,ving increased. This suggests that smoking itself may actually contribute- te accident risk. Brison suggests several possible explanations for the relationshiip' bètween smoking. while driving sud risk of causing accidents., Smoking may distract the driver as ho or she attends te, lighting, inhaiing and disposing of ashes and butts. A dropped cigaret, oye irritation from smoke and smoking-induced ceughing spolie may aise divert attention' awa from driving. In addition, snil ersidue deposited on the innor surface cf the- windshield increases glare, thus impairig visibility. »Other studieshaveshown that toxic by-products of smoke impair perception and dexterity. A major component 1 f cigret smokè, carbon monoxide,'binds to red blood colis in competition with oxygen.' ]Regular (pack-a-da)smokers havean average ofabot five to six per cent red blood coe bound by carbon' monoide even when flot smoki*ng and ,ofte'i, reach much' higher levelse w hen smoking.' - Carbon menoxide* is generally flot consi4ered to e ho'toic' or resyimpairing until it binds abut 1l 5 per cent of red blood cell'. However, studios show that vigilance, -colour vision, bright- ness discrimination, rocovory from exposure te brightligh lts an&dperipheral vision are sligbtly .impaiýr eonsix te oeight per cent ofroed blood colis are bound. Such cabon monoide-blood lovels -are oasily. reached by ono cigarot boing burned, in an onclosed automobile. Even if the driver doesn't smoke, a pasenger smokcing oe ci. get i result in about five per cent of the driver's rod blooçi colls being bound *te' carbon monoxide. Brison's, study aIlse identified distance driven, per yoar and ago as- risk factors for accidentsý, regardless of whether .ornfot tho individual was found te ho at AT R.J. PHILLIPS N we're having the ' TIRE E VENT, 2 5%0oOFF MANUFACTURER'S LIST PRICE ON THE PURCHASE 0F INDIVIDUAL TIRES! - - 0tult. '2 wheel :auignment C R Ispecial 4ktq ueY $2995,CarDs. al. iry + TAXES WSfie I Reg. $49.95 ad oelî rlpovW S Expires March 15, 1992 a o 0WHAT US WHEEL r 5d afe,,. V I GNMENT? SEvery car, rear wheel or front wheel drive has an imaginary etreline. Ail four I weel1s must eparaliel te this lino for proper handling *and tire wear. Wen efther the front or rear wheels'are *not parallel you -will have poor hanidline performance, incePaýd earon suspension *partsan tires! IYou should have a periodicalignment check'te find out. Iekods evSC --- ~ ~ 14 Ro- --- a-d--R-.------------------ z 0 z* z BURNS 'O 01, ------------ »--- I.- Highest deductible paid on windshîeld claims. . 1 0