title: The effects of a new traffic safety law in the Republic of Serbia on driving under the influence of alcohol.
abstract: The aim of the study presented here has been to see what the effects of the new traffic safety law are, 2 years into its initial implementation, on driving under the influence of alcohol. Until the end of 2009, the legal limit for blood concentration for drivers in Serbia was 0.5g/l; however, the new traffic safety law stipulates the new limit to be 0.3g/l. A retrospective autopsy study was performed over a 6-year period (from 2006 to 2011) whose sample covered cases of fatally injured drivers who had died at the scene of the incident, before being admitted to hospital. A total of 161 fatally injured drivers were examined for their blood alcohol concentration. The average age for these drivers was 40.2±15.4 years, with a significant male predominance of 152 men to 9 women (χ(2)=152.000, p<0.001). This study has shown no decrease in the ratio of drivers under the influence of alcohol vs. all drivers (Pearson χ(2)=4.415, df=5, p=0.491), nor in the number of drivers under the influence of alcohol (Pearson χ(2)=6.629, df=5, p=0.250), nor a decrease in the mean blood alcohol concentration in drivers (1.72±0.87 vs. 1.68±0.95g/l, t=0.177, df=80, p=0.860). The conclusion of this study is that the new law has had a limited effect on driving under the influence of alcohol, which still remains one of the major human factors, responsible for road-traffic crashes in Serbia.
authors: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Belgrade-School of Medicine, Serbia. vladimir.zivkovic@mfub.bg.ac.rs
authors: Vladimir
authors: V
authors: Zivković
authors: Slobodan
authors: S
authors: Nikolić
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Lukić
authors: Nenad
authors: N
authors: Zivadinović
authors: Dragan
authors: D
authors: Babić
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D055771:Serbia
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000431:Ethanol