Reducing the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for driving in developing countries: a time for change? Results and implications derived from a time–series analysis (2001–10) conducted in Brazil

A law introduced in Brazil in 2008 lowered the blood alcohol concentration limit for drivers from 0.06 to 0.02, but the effectiveness in reducing traffic accidents remains uncertain. This study evaluated the effects of this enactment on road traffic injuries and fatalities in the State and capital of São Paulo, Brazil. Monthly rates of traffic injuries and fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants were measured from January 2001 to June 2010. It was found that the new traffic law was responsible for significant reductions in traffic injury and fatality rates in both localities. A stronger effect was observed for traffic fatality compared to traffic injury rates. Lowering the blood alcohol concentration limit in Brazil had a greater impact on traffic fatalities than injuries, with a higher effect in the capital, where presumably the police enforcement was enhanced.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03521.x/abstract
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09652140
• Authors:
  • Andreuccetti, Gabriel
  • Carvalho, Heraclito B
  • Cherpitel, Cheryl J
  • Ye, Yu
  • Ponce, Julio C
  • Kahn, Tulio
  • Leyton, Vilma
• Publication Date: 2011-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 2124–2131
• Serial:
  • Addiction
  • Volume: 106
  • Issue Number: 12
  • Publisher: Blackwell Publishers
  • ISSN: 0965-2140
  • EISSN: 1360-0443
  • Serial URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1360-0443

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol use; Blood alcohol levels; Crash causes; Crash data; Crash injuries; Crash rates; Developing countries; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Fatalities; Human factors in crashes; Impaired drivers; Laws and legislation; Time series analysis; Traffic crashes; Traffic law enforcement
• Geographic Terms: Sao Paulo (Brazil)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I81: Accident Statistics; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01359777
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 29 2011 11:09AM