Drinking and driving

•  The principal demarcation rise up between countries where consumption is of "festive" kind, relatively rare but always excessive (mainly in Northern Europe) and countries where its is more regular, we would say systematic, but more moderate (mainly in countries from Mediterranean area). However, this difference seems to decrease according to time.
•  The regulation is going towards harmonisation because the maximum legal blood alcohol concentration of 0.50 g/l is being becoming a European norm : Belgian, French, Danish, Greeks, Dutch, Austrian, Portuguese, Finish, German, Spanish already have it in force. As for Swedish, they are further with a maximum legal level sets to 0.2 g/l.
•  More than three-quarter of European drivers (77%) support these limitations, but their attitude towards this regulation as well as its enforcement by the Governments vary considerably. For example, in Finland, Sweden, Netherlands, United-Kingdom, drivers are quite well agreeing with the rule according to what "who drink does not drive": they almost never take the wheel after drinking. On the other hand, in Italy, Spain, and also in  Austria, taking the wheel when one's blood alcohol concentration is perhaps over the legal limit for drink driving is not exceptional. The phenomena is even more marked in Belgium... and in Greece, it is very common (see figure)

Over the last week, how many days did you drive,
when you may have been over the legal limit for drinking and driving? (in %)

 
 

•  Remains to observe how drivers from the different countries experience the likelihood of been checked for alcohol. Globally, we notice that this risk is felt as very low, almost non existing, by a strong majority of European drivers. Italians, Greeks, British, Irish, Dutch and Swedish state they are almost certain to avoid it. Belgians, Germans, Portuguese and French are a bit less certain... Difficult, nevertheless, to conclude that the fear to be checked explains a reasonable attitude of drivers or in the contrary, it is enough to avoid an unreasonable attitude.

 Estimated likelihood to be checked for alcohol on a typical journey
(% answers often, very often and always)

•  Other statement: less than half of European drivers are in favour of individual checks using onboard breathtesters. One finds them mainly in Greece, France, Sweden and Ireland. For their part, Germans, Dutch and Austrians express a strong rejection of such devices, as if they prefer not to go too close to danger.

Comment

In the light of these various considerations, the SARTRE 2 recommendations are going mainly in two directions. On the one hand, it seems necessary to work with the purpose of increasing the perception of risk related to alcohol in all countries where an important part of the population still refuse to admit a limit of blood alcohol concentration when driving. It is indeed the best way to render drivers more responsible. On the other hand, we must support the rising of legal measures, but also and mostly to have more enforcement of these measures to avoid the feeling that the likelihood of being checked is almost non-existent...