11 January 2023
The European Transport Safety Council has presented a video that explains, with practical examples, how the installation of vehicle locking systems that are activated if the driver has drunk alcohol increases safety and prevents driving license withdrawal. It should be remembered that a quarter of road deaths in Europe are due to alcohol consumption.
A device with these characteristics requires the driver to take a breath test before starting his vehicle, which does not start in the event of a positive test. From July 2022, all new vehicle types launched in the EU must offer the option to install it.
Several European countries contemplate the possibility for convicted drunk drivers to opt for an alcohol ban instead of a driving ban. Such countries are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden.
In the newly released short film, two participants in Belgium’s “alcohol interlock” rehab program talk about how their use has changed their relationship with alcohol and helped them stop drunk driving.
Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council, explains that the video broadcasts “how people using these devices can stay in control of their lives, stay at work and maintain family relationships. When combined with psychological counseling, monitoring and feedback, as in Belgium, they save lives, and change the lives of those who use them.“.
The ETSC calls for alcohol blocking devices to be fitted as standard in EU professional vehicles, and for more countries to introduce similar rehabilitation programs for offenders.