In 1999, the French government decided to classify excessive alcohol consumption as a type of drug dependency, and the Interministerial Committee on Traffic Safety decided to halve the number of road deaths within the next five years. These decisions provide grounds for updating our epidemiological knowledge about drink-driving and accidents, and review our approach to prevention. We have tried to contribute to this process by analysing the way the available data in the main areas which relate to drinking, driving and their consequences have changed during the nineties. The main features of the changes in legislation, enforcement, indicators and trends have been examined with reference to alcohol consumption, the results of roadside checks and alcohol-related accidents. We noticed a general decrease in accidents, and especially the series of accidents which are specifically associated with alcohol such as those involving young men under 25. The fall among men aged from 25 to 39 was much smaller. The decrease noticed among women over 40 was lesser. These trends, the scale of the associated stakes and the social groups concerned encourage discussion about new targets and preventive strategies.
Abstract