The Finnish Road Accident Investigation Teams investigated a total of 241 occupant-fatal road accidents in 1996. According to preliminary figures released for the year, 62 of the accidents involved drink driving and claimed 74 lives. The figure for 1995 was 76. The number of fatal drink-drive crashes caused by young drivers declined steadily in the early 1990s, but last year put an end to the trend: the figure rose more than 50 per cent on 1995. Young drivers accounted for half the total number of alcohol-related fatal crashes. The total number was 31, up from 20 in 1995. Fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers older than 26 decreased from 47 in 1995 to 31 in 1996. In the preceding five years, drink driving cases had remained roughly unchanged in this age group, at nearly 50 fatal accidents a year. (Author/publisher)
Abstract