The effects of introducing or lowering legal per se blood alcohol limits for driving: an international review

In this review evidence on the impact of introducing or lowering legal bloo d alcohol limits on traffic safety measures is examined. There is substanti al variability in the types and rigour of methods used to evaluate these le gislative measures, and thus not surprisingly there is variability in the r esults observed. In most but not all cases where an evaluation of an introd uced or lowered legal limit has been conducted. some beneficial effect on t raffic safety measures has been reported. These effects are in some cases r elatively small, and in other cases may be temporary. In some jurisdictions , lasting reductions in collision rates have been reported. Available evide nce suggests that where beneficial effects are observed they are due to gen eral deterrence, and not restricted only to drivers at blood alcohol concen trations (BAC) specifically affected by the legal change. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.