Abstract
In most of the Western countries there is a gradual decrease of accidents per unit of travel. There have been a lot of countermeasures to achieve that goal. However, it seems to be that within these developments and changes in accident risks, there does not seem to be a major change in the relative role played by alcohol. It remains the single largest contributory factor to traffic accidents. Effective control and its basis research should be the central theme for research in the future.