ABSTRACT
It has often been stressed that alcohol is a major risk factor in the accidental process. A multitude of studies demonstrate a connection but rarely a causal link between consumption of alcohol and the occurrence of accidental events. It is also generally agreed that an accident is the result of a very complex process. Whenever science fails to explain such a phenomenon, there are two strategies available to cope with the problem. The first consists in ‘piece-meal engineering’ (Popper 1959), which means that the system’s complexity is reduced by subdividing it into sub-systems whereas the influence of the surrounding systems on the system to be analysed are simply considered as external factors or disturbances. This strategy leads to the famous ‘all else being equal’ statements, well known in alcohol and accident research. The second possibility of dealing with the problem is the adoption of the risk-factor concept, meaning, in epistemological terms, that the system is not defined enough. But what does risk mean subjectively? And how should the ‘man-machine-environment relationship’ be conceptualised to give the role of alcohol an adequate place in the accident process? Finally, what consequences for future research can be derived by answering these questions?
