Alcohol and Traffic Safety-European Perspective

Alcohol plays an important role in the causation of road traffic accidents. Based on a short description of the pharmacology of ethanol and some general data of alcohol consumption in the world, the relation between alcohol and road traffic will be discussed. In the last chapter the accident statistics in the Federal Republic of Germany are described in more detail.

This paper is based on the following earlier publications of the authors which are updated

• Alcohol and Drugs - use and control. Seminar “Transport Safety in Developing Countries”. Amalfi, 1984.
• Drinking and Driving - Data and Measures in the Federal Republic of Germany. Symposium on Alcohol and Traffic Safety, Cologne, 1982.