This paper discusses key findings from the "National Survey on Drinking and Driving", sponsored by Health and Welfare Canada, and conducted on its behalf by Statistics Canada in March 1988. The paper summarises the authors' report. This provides more detailed information on the survey results. The Survey was a telephone survey of almost 10,000 Canadians of age 16 to 69, so that it was the largest and most comprehensive survey ever on Canadians' attitudes to drink and driving, and their practices and prevention tactics. The household sample had about 1000 respondents in each of Canada's ten provinces, and was chosen using random-digit dialling. 85% of Canadians reported driving a motor vehicle some time during the past three years, and 79% reported that they had had an alcoholic drink some time during the past year. 17.2% indicated that, in the past year, they had driven a motor vehicle after consuming at least two drinks during the previous hour. The corresponding figures for men and women were 33.6% and 13.4%. The survey also found out how often Canadians drove after drinking. Those who drove after drinking tended to have higher collision risks. Drinking drivers consumed alcohol more often than non-drinking drivers. The findings suggest that prevention programmes should consider separate methods for changing driving behaviour and drinking behaviour.
Abstract