DRINKING AND DRIVING IN SPAIN

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the patterns of al cohol consumption among Spanish drivers and to evaluate possible reper cussions on road safety policies. Method: A sample of 12,000 drivers a ged over 16 were randomly selected from the National Register of Spani sh Drivers. The questionnaires, with items on sociodemographic data an d on patterns of driving and alcohol consumption, were mailed to selec ted drivers in the fall of 1993. The study was based on the 1,500 (1,0 16 from men, 484 from women) properly completed questionnaires receive d. Results: Among those surveyed, 62.9% were regular drinkers, who had a mean daily alcohol intake of 46.9 grams/day; of these regular drink ers 26.8% drank at a dangerous level. Those who drove regularly were m ore likely to drink and had a higher alcohol intake. The majority of d rinkers recognized that they drove after drinking, 14.3% even acknowle dged that last year on some occasions they drove ''in a drunken state. '' Those who drink show high figures of involvement in road accidents. Conclusions: The study indicates widespread consumption of alcohol by Spanish drivers and the need to develop and improve driving and drink ing policies in Spain.