bfu Council for accident prevention Drinking and driving

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking and driving in Switzerland SMART, 21 st of March 2016, Warsaw Uwe P. Ewert, Ph. D MPH, Researcher u. ewert@bfu. ch – www. bfu. ch

bfu – Council for accident prevention Switzerland § Small country in the middle of Europe § 8. 3 million inhabitants § 4 different languages/cultures German-speaking 64% French-speaking 20% Italian-speaking 6% Romansh-speaking 0. 5% Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 2

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking in Switzerland Drinking is decreasing: 15 liters of pure alcohol in the 1970’s; 9. 5 liters in 2014 (per inhabitant age 15 and older) Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 3

bfu – Council for accident prevention – 30 Italian-speaking Switzerland – 25 than 2 days per week –Percent of persons drinking on more Different drinking patterns in the language regions French-speaking Switzerland – 20 German-speaking Switzerland – 15 – 10 – 5 – 0 – 2 Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert – 4 – 6 –amount of alcohol drunk per day – 8 – 10 20. 10. 2021 4

bfu – Council for accident prevention Frequency of drinking and driving § As of today - no national roadside survey was conducted § In french-speaking Switzerland: 4. 7% of drivers checked had some alcohol § Of these - 1. 3% at 0. 8‰ or higher - 3. 4% below 0. 5‰ § DRUID Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 5

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking and driving: police enforcement § Percentage of drivers controlled for alcohol within the last year – 10, 0 – 9, 0 – 8, 0 – 7, 0 – 6, 0 – 5, 0 – 4, 0 – 3, 0 – 2, 0 – 1, 0 – 0, 0 –Men –Women – 2000 Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert – 2003 – 2005 – 2007 – 2009 – 2011 20. 10. 2021 6

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking and Driving: judicial enforcement – 1984 – 1985 – 1986 – 1987 – 1988 – 1989 – 1990 – 1991 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 punishment: fine or up to 3 years in prison – 20 000 – 18 000 – 16 000 – 14 000 – 12 000 – 10 000 – 8 000 – 6 000 – 4 000 – 2 000 – 0 driving beyond. 8‰ § Number of drivers prosecuted because of drunk driving (0. 8 ‰ and more) over time –Number of prosecutions for drunk § –Driving with BAC above 0. 8 ‰ Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 7

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking and Driving: judicial enforcement – 100 – 90 – 80 – 70 – 60 – 50 – 40 – 30 – 20 – 10 – 1984 – 1985 – 1986 – 1987 – 1988 – 1989 – 1990 – 1991 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 20 000 – 18 000 – 16 000 – 14 000 – 12 000 – 10 000 – 8 000 – 6 000 – 4 000 – 2 000 – 0 driving beyond. 8‰ punishment: fine or up to 3 years in prison –Percentage of all prosecutions Number of drivers prosecuted because of drunk driving (0. 8 ‰ and more) over time –Number of prosecutions for drunk § –Driving with BAC above 0. 8 ‰ –Percentage of all driving-related prosecutions Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 8

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking and driving: administrative enforcement Number of license withdrawals: – 20 000 – 18 000 – 16 000 – 14 000 –License withdrawal – 12 000 because of alcohol – 10 000 – 8 000 –License withdrawal – 6 000 because of alcohol – 4 000 related to a crash – 0 – 1991 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2 000 Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 9

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking and driving: administrative enforcement Percentage of license withdrawals: – 40 – 35 –percentage of – 30 licence withdrawal – 25 due to alcohol – 20 – 15 –percentage of – 10 licence withdrawal due to alcohol – 5 – 1990 – 1991 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 0 related to a crash Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 10

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking and driving: administrative enforcement Percentage of license withdrawals because of alcohol by region: – 30, 0 – 25, 3 – 23, 0 – 25, 0 – 20, 0 – 16, 5 – 15, 0 – 10, 0 – 5, 0 gi. . . ki ng re an m –g er nsp e lia ta –i Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert sp ea ak i in g hsp ea k re nc –f re gi on gi o. . . – 0, 0 20. 10. 2021 11

bfu – Council for accident prevention Number of persons injured in alcohol crashes – 160 – 1000 – 140 – 900 – 800 – 120 – 700 – 100 – 600 – 80 – 500 – 60 – 400 –severely injured – 300 – 40 – 20 – 100 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 0 –fatally injured Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert – 0 20. 10. 2021 12

bfu – Council for accident prevention Number of persons injured in alcohol crashes – 160 – 1000 – 140 – 900 – 800 – 120 – 700 – 100 – 600 – 81 – 80 – 500 – 63 – 60 – 40 – 20 –severely injured – 300 – 200 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 0 – 400 –fatally injured Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert – 0 20. 10. 2021 13

bfu – Council for accident prevention Number of persons injured in alcohol crashes – 160 – 1000 – 140 – 900 – 800 – 120 – 700 – 100 – 600 – 80 – 500 – 60 – 400 –severely injured – 45 – 300 – 35 – 200 – 21 – 100 – 40 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 20 – 0 –fatally injured Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert – 0 20. 10. 2021 14

bfu – Council for accident prevention Percent of persons injured in alcohol crashes – 25 – 20 – 18 – 15 15 – 13 – 10 –percent severely injured – 10 –percent fatally injured – 0 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 5 Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 15

bfu – Council for accident prevention § Decrease of alcohol-related fatalities from 21% to 10% since 1992 § Decrease of alcohol-related severe injuries from 13% to 11% § Two remarkable decreases in the fatalities beyond trend 2004 to 2006 2012 to 2014 § What has happened? Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 16

bfu – Council for accident prevention Percent of persons injured in alcohol crashes – 25 – 20 – 18 – 15 – 13 – 10 –percent severely injured –percent fatally injured – 0 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 5 Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 17

bfu – Council for accident prevention What has happenend from 2004 to 2006? § 1 st of January 2005: lowering of the maximum BAC from 0. 8 to 0. 5 ‰ § 1 st of January 2005: random breath testing allowed (previously on suspicion) § 1 st of January 2005: Cascade system for license withdrawal in case of repeated violations - depending on severity and frequency of violations Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 18

bfu – Council for accident prevention Cascade system for license withdrawal Number of violation Severity of previous violations Minumum length of licence withdrawal minor medium severe First - warning 1 month 3 months Second 1 medium 1 month 4 months 6 months Third 2 medium 1 month 9 months 2 severe 1 month 15 months Undefined (at least 2 years) 3 medium 1 month Undefined (at least 2 years) Forever (at least 10 years) Fourth Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 19

bfu – Council for accident prevention Percent of persons injured in alcohol crashes – 25 – 20 – 15 –[WERT] –percent severely injured – 10 –percent fatally injured – 0 – 1992 – 1993 – 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – 1997 – 1998 – 1999 – 2000 – 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 5 Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 20

bfu – Council for accident prevention What has happenend from 2013 to 2014? § 1 st of January 2014: 0. 1 ‰ BAC for learner license owners Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 21

bfu – Council for accident prevention Summary § Police enforcement of alcohol has increased by a factor of 3 since the year 2000 § Legislation on alcohol has changed (0. 5‰, random breath testing allowed, cascade system of license withdrawal, 0. 1 ‰ for young drivers) § Decreases in punishment, license withdrawals and road fatalities Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 22

bfu – Council for accident prevention Criticism § Cascade system of license withdrawal is probably too difficult for all drivers to understand. § Maybe change to a penalty point system? § Differentiation between punishment and administrative measures is not understood well. § License withdrawal is often regarded as the severest punishment. Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 23

bfu – Council for accident prevention Drinking and driving in Switzerland, U. Ewert 20. 10. 2021 24