Methodology and results on DWI
Methodology
Most of the information for this report was gathered through inquiries from key informants identified in each of the countries of interest. Most informants were from government transportation agencies. Some informants were from relevant university departments. In some cased, available information was collected from other published or unpublished sources. Appendix A indicates the source(s) of information for each country.
Results
The results of the overview of laws indicate some of the major differences across countries and some of the contrasts between the United States and other countries. Major findings include:
The illegal BAC for most of the United States is higher than for any of the other countries studied.
The minimum purchase age for alcohol is older in the United States than for almost all other countries studied.
Licensing age for most countries is some years older than the minimum purchase age for alcohol.
Sanctions in other countries tend to be based primarily on arrest BAC.
The potential impact of international free trade agreements on laws and policies related to traffic safety must be considered in this context. Another important factor in international comparisons is the cultural differences reflected in public attitudes towards impaired driving and towards relevant laws.
Analysis of the relationship between laws related to impaired driving and the proportion of alcohol-related crashes is a logical next step. This analysis must be undertaken with caution because of the complicated measurement issues inherent in reporting of alcohol involvement in traffic crashes.
Most of the information for this report was gathered through inquiries from key informants identified in each of the countries of interest. Most informants were from government transportation agencies. Some informants were from relevant university departments. In some cased, available information was collected from other published or unpublished sources. Appendix A indicates the source(s) of information for each country.
Results
The results of the overview of laws indicate some of the major differences across countries and some of the contrasts between the United States and other countries. Major findings include:
The illegal BAC for most of the United States is higher than for any of the other countries studied.
The minimum purchase age for alcohol is older in the United States than for almost all other countries studied.
Licensing age for most countries is some years older than the minimum purchase age for alcohol.
Sanctions in other countries tend to be based primarily on arrest BAC.
The potential impact of international free trade agreements on laws and policies related to traffic safety must be considered in this context. Another important factor in international comparisons is the cultural differences reflected in public attitudes towards impaired driving and towards relevant laws.
Analysis of the relationship between laws related to impaired driving and the proportion of alcohol-related crashes is a logical next step. This analysis must be undertaken with caution because of the complicated measurement issues inherent in reporting of alcohol involvement in traffic crashes.