The author examines the incidence of drinking and driving in Sweden and considers the effect of a) lowering the legal blood alcohol limit in 1990, b) introducing medical requirements for possession of a driving licence in 1996 and c) the relicensing procedure for dealing with offenders. The administrative procedure for dealing with medical requirements is outlined. This involves 2 stages: a sensitive screening system and a verification test. The screening system includes DSM as the criteria-based system for the classification of diagnosis. This can provide a clear cut diagnosis but in cases requiring more evidence a highly specific verification system is used. This test relies on CDT (carbohydrate-deficient transferrin) being a specific marker of heavy regular alcohol consumption.
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