Citation

Klette H. Proc. Int. Counc. Alcohol Drugs Traffic Safety Conf. 1981; 1981: 1398.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, The author(s) and the Council, Publisher International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The penal law, with unconditional imprisonment, has been the most important means of achieving deterrence. In the 20'S the disqualification of the driving licence and the fines, later dayfines, were the main legal factors. In the middle of the 30's the unconditional imprisonment succeeded fines as the main sanction and the blood test was introduced. In 1940 the two BAC levels, 0,15% and 0,08%, were incorporated into the law. The lower legal limit was changed to 0,05% BAC in 1957. From 1975 the problem of "recounting" was abolished generally and a law of random breath tests was introduced from 1977. The present sanctions are in general one month unconditional imprisonment for drunken driving first degree, i.e, mainly BAC levels 0,15% and above, and day-fines for BAC levels below 0,15% but above 0,05%. Disqualification of the driving licence is also used. Since the beginning of the 70's some lower courts have started to use supervision and treatment for alcohol problems instead of unconditional imprisonment relatively frequently in cases of drunken driving first degree. (Author/TRRL)