Between September and December 1995, the SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research and 62 police control teams, conducted a roadside survey. The aim was to establish the motorists' alcohol consumption in all twelve Dutch provinces. The study was carried out on Friday and Saturday nights. The study represents a continuation of the nationwide studies into drink-driving habits which were carried out between 1970 and 1994. The 1995 sample includes 18, 334 motorists. The 1995 study showed that the number of motorists with a blood alcohol content (BAC) over the legal limit of 0.5 promille had slightly decreased: 4.4% in 1995 versus 4.9% in 1994. However, this decrease may have been slightly biased by publicity on the measurements publicity on the measurements in one of the 62 selected research areas. In 1995, the highest percentages of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) were found: (1) Saturday and Sunday morning between 2 and 4 a.m.; (2) amongst 35-49 year-old male drivers; (3) in municipalities with more than 100, 000 inhabitants; and (4) in the western and southern provinces of the Netherlands. Of the group of heavy drinkers (with a BAC over 1.3 promille), 57% stated that they had come from a public drinking place. The scope and development of alcohol-related accidents in the Netherlands is also described.
Samenvatting