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Revista Médica del Uruguay

Print version ISSN 0303-3295On-line version ISSN 1688-0390

Abstract

ALESSANDRINI, Daniel  and  LAMBROSQUINI, Florencia. Impact of the implementation of a zero blood alcohol concentration law in Uruguay: effect on consumption and fatal crashes. Rev. Méd. Urug. [online]. 2022, vol.38, n.1, e203.  Epub Mar 01, 2022. ISSN 0303-3295.  https://doi.org/10.29193/rmu.38.1.3.

Introduction:

law 19360 of “Zero blood alcohol concentration” was passed to prevent and reduce road accidents by modifying the tolerance to blood alcohol concentration for drivers. It lowered it from 0.3 g/l to 0.0 g/l and results proved the reduction of fatal crashes in the short term.

Objective:

to analyze the impact of the new law on the official alcohol sales and on drivers by type of vehicle and region.

Method:

inferential study, impact of intervention. Time-series analyses for different sources were performed to find out whether there were meaningful changes using the ARIMA model, comparing figures corresponding to the periods before and after Law 19360 was passed.

Resultados:

declared consumption of alcohol did not evidence important modifications despite the zero law, whereas the number of dead motorcyclists and severely wounded significantly dropped after Law 19360 was passed.

Conclusions:

motorcyclists are those who benefit the most with the law, since a great number of deaths were saved. Data suggest there might be a change in the behaviour of vehicle drivers in regards to alcohol consumption before and after driving. The steady improvement of information available for citizens is essential to better understand these phenomena.

Keywords : Alcohol drinking; Traffic accidents; Social change.

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