Have drivers at alcohol outlets changed their behavior after the new traffic law?

Abstract

Objective: In an attempt to reduce high levels of traffic crashes, a new legislation was approved in Brazil in 2008. This study aimed to assess behavioral change among drivers who had drunk at alcohol outlets (AO) after implementation of the law. Method: A three-stage probability sampling survey was conducted in Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Individuals seen leaving AOs after drinking were approached (n=3,018). Selected drivers (n=683) answered a structured interview, were breathalyzed, and had saliva specimens collected for drug screening. Results: Overall, 60.3% (SE 4.5) of drivers reported they did not change their behavior. Among those who reported behavioral changes, most reported drinking less as their main strategy toward safer driving behavior. Variables independently associated with behavior change included having drunk at a high outlet density area (odds ratio [OR] 1.7 [1.1-2.8]) and having a favorable opinion about the law (OR 4.3 [2.1-8.9]). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that awareness of the law has not been enough to promote behavioral change. As most drivers had a favorable opinion of the law and this variable was found to be the strongest predictor of behavior change, efforts to better integrate education and enforcement seem to be pivotal and might be well received by the population.

Cause-specific mortality for 249 causes in Brazil and states during 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2015

“…Although there was a nationwide decrease, pedestrians remain the main victims of RTI. Brazil has relatively strong national legislation on key aspects of road safety, but a reasonable doubt emerges about its enforcement, especially related to drinking and driving laws [ 62 , 63 ]. Numbers of motorcyclist road injury deaths increased the most from 1990 to 2015, probably linked to a high rise in the use of this kind of vehicle [ 64 ].…”

Alcohol Consumption Among Drivers in Curitiba, Brazil

“…Previous studies have shown that drinking and driving is not associated with fear of punishment but rather with being male, binge drinking, having had a driving under the influence-related crash in the past, or having a negative perception of driving under the influence policy Pinsky et al 2001). Additionally, though drink driving is associated with consumption at alcohol outlets such as bars/pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, and convenience stores, the nature of this association may vary based on the density of these outlets; for instance, low-density areas may actually be where people are more likely to drink and drive (Boni et al 2014).…”

Risk and Preventive Factors for Traffic Accidents: Analysis of Children’s Perception Using the Edutherapeutic Method

“…Alcohol affects all tissues and has a significant impact on the nervous system. 28 The CBT Brazilian Traffic Code amendments, through Law No. 12,760/2012, propose penalties to the individuals driving with any alcohol concentration per liter of blood or alveolar air 29 .…”

“…However, 60.3% of drivers have not yet changed their behavior after the introduction of this new law. 28 Concerning motorcyclists, the students described the very dangerous maneuver of balancing the motorcycle on one wheel in their drawings. In Article 175, the CTB considers the use of a vehicle to demonstrate or perform dangerous maneuvering, such as sudden jerking, skidding, or braking with tire sliding or dragging, a serious violation.…”