In 2000, the Transport Research Centre (AVV) carried out a study in order to establish the level of alcohol consumption of motorists in the Netherlands. Within the framework of this research, 59 police control teams conducted roadside surveys. This took place mainly from September until December 2000, between Friday 10 p.m. and Saturday 4 a.m. and between Saturday 10 p.m. and Sunday 4 a.m. In the roadside surveys, motorists were stopped at random and subjected to a breath test. This was done in all 25 police regions of the Netherlands. The 2000 sample contained more than 20,000 motorists. This size is common practice since the second half of the nineties. This makes it possible to present results per police region with a certain liability. The study represents a continuation of the nationwide studies into drink-driving habits. These were carried out by the SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research since 1970. In order to gain an impression of the development in police enforcement on drink-driving (by random breath testing) in the Netherlands, AVV interviewed the police co-ordinators of the roadside surveys. The results of those interviews show that in the second half of the nineties, the enforcement level increased. In 2000, however, the enforcement level decreased and reached the same level as in 1997.
Abstract