In January 1998 the legal BAC (blood alcohol content) limit in Austria was lowered from .08% to .05%. Injuries due to drunk driving decreased during the first year by approximately 10%. During the first months the decrease was more significant than later in the year. However, a moderate increase in injuries due to drunk driving had to be stated in the year following. Already in 1992 the BAC-limit for the specific group of novice drivers had been lowered from .08% to .01%. An accident analysis after five years of observation indicated a reduction of drunk driving injuries in the group of novice drivers by 30.9% in contrast to a reduction of only 5.9% in the group of experienced drivers. The accident reduction may be explained not only as a consequence of the legal alterations but also as a consequence of intensive support in the media, persistent police enforcement and the introduction of mandatory psychological driver improvement courses for drunk drivers. A recent evaluation study proves an almost 50% lower recidivism rate of drunk drivers who participated in a psychological driver improvement course compared to a control group without a course.
Samenvatting