With drink driving being a problem throughout, Europe the possibility of bringing in a blood alcohol limit of 0.5g/l on a Europe-wide basis is being considered. The situation varies however between individual countries. This paper describes the scale of drink driving and how it varies between countries in order to achieve a better appraisal of the common policy proposed. Using roadside data and the SATRE survey (Social Attitudes to Transport Risk in Europe), estimates are made of the incidence of drink driving in Europe and the number of km travelled with a blood alcohol content greater than 0.5g/l.. The characteristics of the drinking and driving population are also examined. Two aspects are identified which contribute to both drink driving and attitudes to alcohol limits. These are drinking patterns (frequency, amount) and obedience to traffic regulations.
Samenvatting