On 1 July 1990, a new law was passed in Sweden, to reduce the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit from 0.05% to 0.02%. A study was set up, to investigate the effect of introducing the new law on drivers' reports about their own experience of drink-driving. Before and after surveys were conducted in 1987 and 1991; the 1991 survey had the same questions as the 1987 survey, but also some additional questions including some about the new law. This paper compares data from both surveys. The respective sizes of the samples of car owners in the postal surveys were 4100 and 2100, and the response rate was about 60% in both cases. In the 1991 survey, three groups of drivers could be identified from the vast majority who reported drinking some alcohol: (1) drivers without experience of drink-driving (65%); (2) drivers who had drunk one glass of wine (27%); and (3) drivers who had drunk more (8%). Most of the drivers had a good knowledge of the new law. It was found that Swedish drivers had not reduced their drink-driving as a result of the law, but had become less law abiding. They considered violations of the law less serious and a little less unacceptable than before. They face more temptation than before.
Abstract