Drink Driving is a Significant Health Concern: Not Just for Christmas
With the Festive Season upon us, many people will be travelling to social gatherings which may well involve the consumption of a little festive wine, beer or spirit. While many of us who do drink, do so responsibly, it is important to remember the consumption of alcohol, even in small quantities, significantly increases the harm of being injured or killed in a road traffic accident. Drink driving is a substantial public health concern, not just for intoxicated drivers who risk both theirs and their passengers’ lives, but also for pedestrians getting home safely after a night out.
We all know that alcohol impacts the body in many ways, not just the dance moves you show off at the office Christmas party; but alcohol makes us feel more tired, impairing our visual perception and reducing our ability to concentrate. In terms of driving, alcohol increases the time it takes for us to respond to an emergency and reduces our ability to make safety judgements, such as wearing a seatbelt or driving within the speed limit. Combined alcohol and drug use, particularly with caffeine-based mixers, are not only harmful to health, but also make drinkers feel more confident about their driving abilities and less intoxicated than they may actually be.
Many cases of drink driving occur at night time, whereby risks are exacerbated by reduced visibility and poor weather conditions, as well as distractions such as passengers and loud music. While novice drivers tend to abstain from consuming alcohol when driving, young adult males are often most at risk of driving whilst intoxicated. In terms of prevention, mass media campaigns aim to increase public knowledge about drink driving harms and change high-risk attitudes. These media campaigns aim to address the causes of drink driving, the rationalisation processes used by those who engage in this type of behaviour, and the beliefs that drink driving convictions or harms will not happen to them.
The stricter enforcement of seatbelt fines, increased testing of early morning drivers, and the reduction in driver blood alcohol content limits has had some impact on drink driving behaviour. In the United Kingdom, an offence can be caused by individuals even sat in the driving seat or in possession of car keys, if this suggests an intent to drive. While drivers have the responsibility for those within their vehicle, in some countries, passengers can also be found negligent if they know that the driver has consumed alcohol. While there is some concern among young people that driving while intoxicated could lead to the loss of employment or a criminal record, legislation alone is often not enough, particularly because enforcement varies considerably throughout the world.
We know that how individuals should behave and how they actually behave can be quite different. For example, if you were to ask young adults what they thought about drink driving, many would suggest that it is stupid or unacceptable, however, alarming numbers of these people would probably admit that they have been in a vehicle where the driver had been drinking. While health messages aimed at reducing drink driving have had varied efficacy, young people do appear to be influenced by their peers. For example, individuals who permit drinking and driving, or do so themselves, are more likely to have peers who condone this type of risky behaviour, whereas those who do not tend to have disapproving friends.
We must recognise that drink driving is a significant health concern and not one which just occurs at Christmas. Reducing drink driving is a complex issue and will require a complex solution, addressing a range of factors. This will include changing individual attitudes and knowledge about drink driving and empowering individuals to avoid drink drive situations; as well as enforcing legislation and considering contextual factors which promote or prevent drinking driving behaviours (i.e. lack of alternative transport, location of alcohol outlets, free drinks for designated drivers and a range of non-alcohol options). While further research is required to look at a host of factors, if you are going out over the Festive period, make sure to plan in advance, be a good drinking model for your friends and ensure you all get home safely.
Dr Kimberley Hill is a lecturer in Psychology and Public Health at the University of Northampton.
