Drinking-driving law enforcement from 1970 to 1993 in France is featured by a process of numerous law reforms and by a very clear improvement of law implementation after 1986 due to a shift in police and court practices giving rise to a sharp increase in the amount of BAC and BrAC tests, convictions and severe sentences. The other main feature is the lack of evident feed-back on fatal accident which questions the deterrent argument of severe repression while deep changes in life-styles, drink habits and traffic safety monitoring suggest more diversified modes of prevention and more complex models of understanding drinking-driving regulation. With reference to some historical points or socio-political events and to recent in-depth local points or socio-political events and to recent in-depth local studies, the paper summarizes findings and questions emerging from French background, trends and evolution of law enforcement. (A)
Abstract