Reducing deaths from drink related road traffic accidents is one of the European Commission’s main priorities within their strategy to reduce alcohol related harm.
Shocking statistics have revealed that driving whilst under the influence of alcohol contributes to at least 10,000 deaths on EU roads and on average, there are 17,000 road traffic accidents attributable to alcohol.
Interestingly the statistics suggest that of the 17,000 road traffic accidents attributable to alcohol on average 15,000 involve men with women being responsible for only 2,000 of these.
The drink driving policies that appear to be highly effective in reducing alcohol related road traffic accidents are reported to be random breath testing, lowered blood alcohol concentration levels, license suspension, and a further reduced blood alcohol concentration level for young drivers.
Having seen the devastation road traffic accidents can cause to those individuals involved and their families and loved ones I am of the opinion that any measures that can be put in place to reduce the number of road traffic accidents in Europe whether alcohol related or not are a good thing.
In the UK alcohol related road traffic accidents have fallen by more than three quarters since 1980 however the statistics show that far too many people in Britain are still being injured and killed in alcohol related road traffic accidents some of which may have been prevented if alcohol hadn’t been involved.