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Lowering the legal alcohol limits for driving: expected changes in the prevalence of positive tests
Manuela Alcañiz1, Montserrat Guillen1, Miguel Santolino1
1RISKcenter - Research Institute in Applied Economics, Department of Econometrics, Statistics and Applied Economy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Objective:
To estimate the increase in the prevalence rate of drivers testing positive for alcohol when lowering the breath alcohol content (BrAC) limit from 0.25 to 0.10mg/l.
Method:
A cross-sectional study using a sample of 8320 breath tests from a mandatory roadside random survey conducted on interurban roads in Catalonia in 2019.
Results:
The percentage of drivers with a BrAC>0.10mg/L was 3.8% (95%CI: 3.2-4.4), more than twice the percentage with a BrAC>0.25mg/L (1.6%, 95%CI: 1.2-2.0). Males (4.0%, 95%CI: 3.3-4.6 vs. 1.6%, 95%CI: 1.2-2.0) and those aged over 65 years (4.3%, 95%CI: 2.2-6.4. vs. 0.8%, 95%CI: 0.2-1.5) are particularly impacted by the alcohol limit reduction.
Conclusions:
This study identifies the groups likely to be most affected by a reduction of the legal BrAC limit, highlighting the need for targeted awareness campaigns on the risks of drinking and driving.
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