Alcohol and other drugs have been used - and misused - for centuries, and the effects have been more or less known for just as long. Attitudes to drinking have been ambivalent, to say the least; nowadays, however, the general attitude is one of approval. Drinking has become well established in society, and those who engage in »social drinking« are by no means in the minority. Another highly approved social phenomenon is the ownership and use of cars, with the associated mobility afforded to the masses. Unfortunately there are many circumstances that give rise to a combination of the two, and thus to an enormous social problem: drink-driving. Despite all the efforts made and steps taken, the Netherlands, like other countries, has not really succeeded in curbing drink-driving. To improve road safety it is important to have accurate information on the extent to which drinking contributes to road unsafety.
Abstract