Drink-driving continues to be a leading cause of road fatalities and injuries. The lowering of blood alcohol limits for drivers is a strong deterrent but flaws in the law may be hindering more effective drink-driving prevention.
The police reported that on New Year’s Eve three motorists were caught driving when under the influence of alcohol. On Christmas Eve, 30 breathalyser tests were carried out by the police during roadside inspections.
No driver tested positive for excessive drinking. While this information painted a rosy picture of the effectiveness of roadside tests, it did not convince many that the problem of drink-driving is indeed under control.
Insurers reacted to this information given by the police with scepticism. Malta Insurance Association director-general Adrian Galea welcomed the decision to subject motorists to tests on both nights but argued that insurers were “rather sceptical” that such a low number of people were tested.
Insurers rightly argue that the law is not tough enough to curb drink-driving because the police can only carry out tests if they have “reasonable suspicion” that a driver has been drinking. Looking out for slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and motorists unsteady on their feet is not sufficient to determine whether a motorists is capable of driving safely after consuming more than the low limits of alcohol allowed by regulation.
Effective drink-driving prevention and enforcement strategies rely on random breath testing, publicity campaigns, penalties and targeted interventions. International studies confirm that, among the general population, contact with random breath testing has the strongest deterrent impact on drink-driving. The studies also confirm that targeted interventions identifying the underlying cause of offending are crucial in addressing recidivist drink drivers, a group that contributes disproportionally to road trauma.
The hands of the police need to be strengthened by changes in the law and a tougher enforcement regime. The police should be able to breath test a large proportion of licensed drivers throughout the year because direct contact with random breath testing has the strongest deterrent impact on drink-driving.
Publicity campaigns should also be coordinated with random breath-testing enforcement to reinforce anti-drink-driving publicity through police action to maximise their deterrent impact.
Penalties alone, even when severe, have minimal impact if drivers perceive that the probability of detection is low. Licence suspension needs a systematic application as it is the most effective penalty for drink-driving.
Every effort should be made to study the underlying causes of repeat offending to help devise effective treatment responses for recidivist drink drivers through rehabilitation programmes. Once again, educational campaigns in schools are always a good tactic to prevent abuse of alcohol by young people.
An encouraging development is that some are now using hired transport when returning from entertainment venues. However, many still use their transport after drinking alcohol in an evening spent wining and dining.
The quantity of cars on our roads presents formidable challenges to a sober driver. This challenge becomes even more arduous when drivers are not in full control of their senses because they would have consumed too much alcohol.
Much remains to be done to strengthen the enforcement of sensible regulations. Strategies that effectively decrease drink-driving are crucial in the ongoing effort to improve road safety.
This is a Times of Malta print editorial