Drinking & Driving

Whether labeled as “drink-driving”, “drunken driving”, “driving under the influence” (DUI), “driving while intoxicated” (DWI), the consumption of alcohol is known to impair driving ability and the severity of the impairment relates to the amount consumed.   The primary debate about drinking and driving revolves around the most effective measure for prevention – where to set legal limits, and how best to enforce them.

The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) has produced, as part of the UN Collaboration on Road Safety, a good practice manual on Drinking and Driving.  This manual was launched at the United Nations in Geneva and can be downloaded from the GRSP website (www.grsproadsafety.org).

The Drinking and Driving manual provides practical advice to road safety practitioners on how to develop and implement policy and programs on preventing alcohol impaired driving.  It follows on from the recommendations made in the April 2004 WHO/World Bank World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention.  The manual includes practical ways to develop coordinated and integrated programs to reduce drinking and driving within a country.  ICAP is a founding member of the GRSP.

• Key Facts and Issues
• Blue Book Module: Drinking and Driving  (129 KB .pdf)
• Table: BAC Limits Worldwide  
• Further Resources
• Targeted Interventions (410 KB .pdf)

ICAP Blue Book
Practical Guides for Alcohol Policy
and Prevention Approaches

The ICAP Blue Book offers a comprehensive guide to the key issues in alcohol policy development, and an integrated approach to prevention. It draws upon the best available research and experience from around the world.

As a policy guide, the ICAP Blue Book is based on three principles:

drinking patterns and their outcomes as a sound scientific basis for policy development;

targeted interventions that address specific "at-risk" populations, potentially harmful contexts and drinking patterns;

partnerships that allow the inclusion of the public and private sectors, the community and civil society all working towards a common goal.

It is intended as a tool to assist those seeking guidance in developing policy and prevention approaches, be they governments, intergovernmental organizations, public health officials and specialists, researchers, non-governmental organizations, the beverage alcohol industry and its related bodies, or civil society organizations interested in alcohol policy development.

Click here for the ICAP Blue Book Module on Drinking and Driving. (129 KB .pdf)

Click here for the entire ICAP Blue Book.

Related Blue Book Modules include: 

Blood Alcohol Concentration Limits  (157 KB .pdf)