Drunk driving ban has helped reduce road accidents in Brazil

The enforcement of Brazil's laws introducing a zero tolerance policy and harshening penalties for drunk driving has helped reduce traffic accidents, according to data from the Federal Highway Police (PRF).

In 2012, 7,594 accidents were reported, down to 7526 the following year, and 7,391 in 2014. The Ministry of Health has also reported lower figures for road accident-related deaths: In 2013, 42,266 deaths were reported; in 2014, 40,294 (down 5%).

Despite the slight statistical improvement, Brazil is still far from the global average of 8.3 traffic deaths for every 100,000 people. Currently, the country rate stands at 19.9 deaths per 100,000 people—this is the lowest rate since 2010, but it's still far from the target set by the 2011 National Plan to Reduce Road Accidents of at least halving the number of traffic deaths by 2020.

“Brazil has done too little yet. There are no strategies in place to achieve this goal. There are fairly independent  initiatives here and there that focus on tightening laws in some respects—driving speed and alcohol consumption, for example. This has been subject to somewhat strict traffic regulations and enforcement efforts. But that's about all we get to see at this point,” said Paulo César Silva, a professor and traffic expert at the University of Brasília (UnB).

In his view, enforcement initiatives and educational campaigns, which are stepped up during certain festive periods like Carnival, are important indeed, but there's much more to do when it comes to integrated initiatives and strategies to reduce car dependency. He said the government should hold a debate on mobility and increase investment in public transport to prevent drunk driving.

“Operations have been generally smarter, drawing on insight into people's behavior, ideal patrolling times, and areas where people use more alcohol, and that has proven more effective in preventing accidents. You should bear in mind that ultimately it's not about punishing people, but preventing them from causing or getting into accidents,” the professor pointed out.

Carolina Hanna Chaim, a psychiatrist and researcher at the Information Center on Health and Alcohol (CISA), notes that people under the effect of alcohol have diminished levels of perception, motor coordination, and concentration, which results in a dramatic impairment of their driving ability. “People must be aware of how serious this behavior [drunk driving] is. It's extremely dangerous because it threatens your life and the lives of others,” she said.

“A ban on drunk driving does help, it's a welcome advancement because it helps raise awareness of how serious  it is and puts off people who don't seem to realize that for themselves. But laws alone won't change [people's behavior],” the psychiatrist said.

Translated by Mayra Borges