Impact of the 1970 legal BAC 0.05 mg% limit legislation on drunk-driver-involved traffic fatalities, accidents, and DWI in Japan.

Official statistics of motor vehicle fatality data have indicated that alcohol involvement in fatal crashes has declined substantially in Japan since 1970. The national campaign against drunken driving in Japan provides a natural experiment in which to test the predictions of deterrence theory. Utilizing official data over the 1960-1995 period, we report conclusive evidence that 1970s legislation is having a measurable and long-term effect on alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities. Enactment of the lower legal blood alcohol limit with a combination of other severe sanctions has been more desirable in the prevention of alcohol-related fatalities in the long term as shown in this study. Further extensive research is necessary to investigate performance at the lower legal limit in other societies in order to inspire a strong "international lobby" to support the reduced legal blood alcohol limit for drivers all over the world, as there is no doubt that a reduction in alcohol-impaired driving will result in a substantial savings of human lives and resource worldwide.

[1]  F J Alvarez,et al.  Drinking and driving in Spain. , 1995, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[2]  J. Snortum,et al.  Alcohol-Impaired Driving in Norway and Sweden: Another Look at “The Scandinavian Myth” , 1984 .

[3]  C. Peacock.  International policies on alcohol-impaired driving: a review. , 1992, The International journal of the addictions.

[4]  D C Rimm,et al.  A balanced placebo investigation of the effects of alcohol vs. alcohol expectancy on simulated driving behavior. , 1982, Addictive behaviors.

[5]  O. H. Rundell,et al.  Alcohol and Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff , 1979, Human factors.

[6]  H. Ross.  Law, Science, and Accidents: The British Road Safety Act of 1967 , 1973, The Journal of Legal Studies.

[7]  J D Graham,et al.  General deterrence of drunk driving: evaluation of recent American policies. , 1991, Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis.

[8]  M. Burns,et al.  Skills performance at low blood alcohol levels. , 1985, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[9]  M Gerondeau.  Report of the high level Expert Group for a European policy for road safety , 1991 .

[10]  D Sleet,et al.  Alcohol and driving: is the 0.05% blood alcohol concentration limit justified? , 1991, Drug and alcohol review.

[11]  P. M. Hurst.  Estimating the effectiveness of blood alcohol limits , 1970 .

[12]  Corfitsen Mt.  Increased viso-motoric reaction time of young tired drunk drivers , 1982 .

[13]  D. Kenkel.  Do drunk drivers pay their way? A note on optimal penalties for drunk driving. , 1993, Journal of health economics.

[14]  Marcelline Burns,et al.  THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE, ALONE AND IN COMBINATION, ON SKILLS PERFORMANCE , 1981 .

[15]  H. Ross.  The Scandinavian Myth: The Effectiveness of Drinking-and-Driving Legislation in Sweden and Norway , 1975, The Journal of Legal Studies.

[16]  C W Erwin,et al.  Alcohol-induced drowsiness and vigilance performance. , 1978, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[17]  J R Snortum,et al.  Drinking-driving compliance in the United States: perceptions and behavior in 1983 and 1986. , 1989, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[18]  P M Salzberg,et al.  The effectiveness of deferred prosecution for driving while intoxicated. , 1983, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[19]  R. McCleary,et al.  Deterrence of Drinking and Driving in France - An Evaluation of the Law of July 12, 1978 , 1981 .

[20]  R F Borkenstein.  Historical perspective: North American traditional and experimental response. , 1985, Journal of studies on alcohol. Supplement.

[21]  L. Avant.  Alcohol impairs visual presence/absence detection more for females than for males , 1990, Perception & psychophysics.

[22]  A Richman.  Human risk factors in alcohol-related crashes. , 1985, Journal of studies on alcohol. Supplement.

[23]  Effect on Traffic Safety of Introducing a 0.05% Blood Alcohol Level in Queensland, Australia , 1988, Medicine, science, and the law.

[24]  A. Dott,et al.  Influence of Ethyl Alcohol in Moderate Levels on the Ability to Steer a Fixed-Base Shadowgraph Driving Simulator , 1977, Human factors.

[25]  J. Bernheim,et al.  [Psychophysiological effects of diazepam(Valium) and low alcohol doses in man]. , 1973, Schweizerische medizinische Wochenschrift.

[26]  Hans Laurell,et al.  Effects of small doses of alcohol on driver performance in emergency traffic situations. ( Accident Analysis & Prevention. Vol 9. 1977. Nr 3, s 191-201) , 1977 .

[27]  L. Evans.  The fraction of traffic fatalities attributable to alcohol. , 1990, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[28]  R Homel,et al.  Drinkers and their driving: compliance with drinking-driving legislation in four Australian states. , 1992, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[29]  James B. Jacobs.  Drunk Driving: An American Dilemma , 1989 .

[30]  Duane T. McRuer,et al.  Alcohol Effects on Driving Behavior and Performance in a Car Simulator , 1975, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics.

[31]  M. Mitchell,et al.  Alcohol-induced impairment of central nervous system function: behavioral skills involved in driving. , 1985, Journal of studies on alcohol. Supplement.

[32]  D I Smith.  Effect of Low Proscribed Blood Alcohol Levels (BALs) on Traffic Accidents among Newly-Licensed Drivers , 1986, Medicine, science, and the law.

[33]  H L Ross,et al.  Britain's Christmas Crusade against drinking and driving. , 1987, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[34]  W. Laurie,et al.  The effect of benzoctamine and alcohol on motor-skills used in car driving. , 1973, Forensic science.

[35]  H. Laurence Ross,et al.  Confronting Drunk Driving: Social Policy for Saving Lives , 1994 .

[36]  T. Heeren,et al.  Lower legal blood alcohol limits for young drivers. , 1994, Public health reports.

[37]  Hans Klette,et al.  Liberalization and rationalization of drunk-driving laws in Scandinavia , 1984 .

[38]  A. Meyers,et al.  Effects of Maine's 1981 and Massachusetts' 1982 driving-under-the-influence legislation. , 1987, American journal of public health.

[39]  M. Linnoila.  Drug interaction on psychomotor skills related to driving: hypnotics and alcohol. , 1973, Annales medicinae experimentalis et biologiae Fenniae.

[40]  T M Nelson,et al.  Perceptions of fatigue as related to alcohol ingestion. , 1979, Waking and sleeping.

[41]  E B Deshapriya,et al.  Are lower legal blood alcohol limits and a combination of sanctions desirable in reducing drunken driver-involved traffic fatalities and traffic accidents? , 1996, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[42]  Marcelline Burns,et al.  EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON DRIVING PERFORMANCE , 1990 .

[43]  B Bialas.  [Lowering the promille limit?]. , 1996, Blutalkohol.

[44]  Frank P. Williams,et al.  Deterrence and social control: Rethinking the relationship , 1985 .

[45]  Mwb Perrine.  WHO ARE THE DRINKING DRIVERS? THE SPECTRUM OF DRINKING DRIVERS REVISITED , 1990 .

[46]  C W Erwin,et al.  Effects of age and alcohol on psychomotor performance of men. , 1980, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[47]  T A Ranney,et al.  The effects of alcohol dosing on driving performance on a closed course and in a driving simulator. , 1988, Ergonomics.

[48]  R Homel,et al.  Drink-driving law enforcement and the legal blood alcohol limit in New South Wales. , 1994, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[49]  G A Starmer,et al.  The relationship between alcohol dosage and performance decrement in humans. , 1976, Journal of Studies on Alcohol.

[50]  P. Zador.  Alcohol-related relative risk of fatal driver injuries in relation to driver age and sex. , 1991, Journal of studies on alcohol.