Drunk – driving: the size of the problem in road safety and the measures that can be - PowerPoint Presentation

1. Drunk – driving: the size of the problem in road safety and the measures that can be taken to combat this driving behaviorRESEARCH ByTasos Ashikkiswww.police.gov.cy / www.cypruspolicenews.com / www.facebook.com/cypolice / www. twitter.com/Cyprus Police 1

2. The Research: It is based on international bibliography, reports, studies of universal appeal, articles and a questionnaire. 2

3. ALCOHOLISMIn the past (from the 1950s / early reports of the World Health Organization), it was recognized that alcoholism is an extreme individual inclination for a steady increase of the usual dose. Alcoholism is a social problem and may evidently cause people to lose control of their willingness and ability to be sober. 3

4. an Important Risk FactorUniversally accepted: Driving under the influence of alcoholic drinks is an important factor influencing the risk of a road collision and the severity of the injuries (which occur as a consequence of road collisions). / Proven by statistics and the medical community.Globally, the alcohol related deaths on the roads can be calculated at about 273 000 people, every year. ® There is no special quantity of alcohol which can be considered as safe. 4

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6. A doctor΄s responsibility Most doctors rarely ask their patients about their habits as regards drinking before driving.They just often ask them to give explanations about the consumption of alcohol, in general. This is very disappointing. 6

7. The younger generation – Our target groupBy increasing the age of a driver and the experience acquired throughout the years, the risk of a crash fatality or serious injury due to alcohol is decreasing. Teenagers who are driving and at the same time have alcohol in their body are at an increased risk of being involved in a road collision - especially when they have passengers in their vehicle. The risks are higher at night for young drivers, in comparison with mature drivers.7

8. The popularity of alcohol Alcoholic drinks are popular in the world and especially in Europe (Reports of the European Commission). In all European Union Member States, the consumption of alcoholic drinks is very high.These data evidently show a serious / complex public problem as regards the health of the people (Avallone et al, 2008).8

9. Adverse effects on the roadsThe driving ability, the psychological, mental and corporal situation of a person – which is closely connected with the application of the rules and regulations – is the most important reason of road collisions (Kardara et al, 2009).The situation can become dangerous in places where tourism is flourishing. Research findings: The levels of enjoyment one country can offer to the citizens, the so many parties and the night life increase very easily the likelihood of road traffic collisions (Papadaki et al, 2008). 9

10. EUROPEAN STATISTICSBased on the available data, 20 – 30% of road crashes in Europe, nowadays, are caused due to drunk driving. Simultaneously, the role of alcohol in road collisions is unfortunately not reported well in many European countries.A good, meticulous and methodological collection of data on the role of alcohol in road collisions will enable and enforce the authorities in Europe to address this permanent problem more efficiently (https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/irtad-road-safety-annual-report-2018_0.pdf). 10

11. Underreporting: why?There is a serious and general consensus that the actual number of alcohol-related road deaths in many countries remains higher. Especially, serious road crashes are believed to be more prone to not real reporting.Official numbers are based on police records which are not reported or well documented, in a professional, systematic and methodological way (https://etsc.eu/an-overview-of-road-death-data-collection-in-the-eu-pin-flash-35/, 2018).11

12. 12• Prepared by the producer of the study• Answered in collaboration between the Cyprus Police and the European University of Cyprus• Dissemination period: 2 weeks• All ages, but focused mainly on younger ages: 35,3% were below 25 years old• Most of them were women: 175 women - 70,3%, 74 men – 29,7%

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14. Have you ever driven after consuming alcohol?14

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16. What do you think about the quantity of police checks regarding driving under alcohol’s influence?168,8% arrested by the police for drinking & drivingneutralpoorgood

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18. How many alcoholic beverages do you consume in each occasion?18

19. Measures - policies19

20. MEUSURES: Education for the free and proper flow of information to the public, as a result of a qualitative communicationThe experts can turn their interest in the sector of communication, which forms the basis of understanding each other. This tool can and must be used largely in the sector of transmitting important messages on alcohol related issues with the aim of preventing road deaths and serious injuries.20

21. MEUSURESRoad Safety EDUCATION must begin from the early childhood, for prevention purposes. Legislative measures must be taken without any delay for the introduction of Road Safety education in schools and high schools.21

22. MEUSURES: The Crucial and direct effect of CommunicationA growing literature stresses the influential role of communicationFor this reason, the role of the road safety officers must be taken up by people who are considered to be INFLUENCERS and can have – through their conduct – a REAL APPEAL on the public (Men & Jiang, 2016). 22

23. MEUSURESThe increase of roadside breath tests in order to enforce the legislation on drink driving. The testing of drink driving in all roadside checks of the police (despite the adoption of obligatory testing for alcohol in all fatal and serious road crashes). The enforcement must be coupled, with activities related to publicity of the police campaigns on the whole issue. (A TISPOL POLICY).23

24. MEASURESThe best practice for drink–driving laws MUST include:A BAC limit of 0.05 g/dl for the general population. The admissible limit in the blood to be 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (BAC 0.5 mg/ml). The admissible limit in the breath to be up to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of exhaled air. A BAC limit of 0.02 g/dl for young or novice drivers and for special categories of drivers. The admissible limit in the blood to be 9 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath or 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. 24

25. MEUSURESThe responsibility must be shifted also to OTHER EXPERTS: Not only to the police officers. The doctors know better than anyone else the bad effects of alcohol on people. It is the medical community that instructed the police and the other competent organizations that when blood alcohol content levels increase, they result in a deterioration of the cognition. 25

26. The efforts in transmitting key messages enabling people to save their lives must never end. The struggle is hard and MANY PARTIES must be involved in the combat of drunk driving. The Police MUST NOT BE ALONE. ® Α sensitive sector: The lives must be saved in order for the society not to experience anymore the missing of people on the roads due to habits that can be regulated / controlled in an effective way.26MEUSURES

27. If the important work of educating people from an early stage of their lives is steadily done well and with professionalism, by expert road safety officers, then innovations are going to be achieved in the sector of saving lives. The road safety officers, in this way, will become life savers and the medical community as well as the society will reap the benefits of their professional work.27CONCLUSIONS

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29. Thank you all for your attentionMr. Tasos Ashikkis First SergeantTraffic Department – Police HeadquartersPrevention, Education and Studies OfficeTEL: 00357 22607535E – mail address: tashikkis@police.gov.cy29