Zero alcohol in traffic, less risk - publication on Uruguay's experience

PAHO and the Fundación Gonzalo Rodriguez conducted research based on national and international publications to determine the impact of alcohol on accidents.

They identified 13 publications in peer-reviewed journals and four papers that form the basis of this evidence. A review of 112 studies between 1981 and 1998 linked to experiments with different blood alcohol concentrations shows that several of the skills required for driving are altered at measures other than zero. Another study shows that drivers under the influence of alcohol are more impulsive and risky, and their judgment, vigilance, reaction time and control diminish accordingly.

Another analysis takes into account alcohol levels and traffic fatalities and an index evaluating public policy and legislation. By relating these parameters, it concludes that States with more restrictive regulations on alcohol consumption have lower fatality rates.