Drinking-driving compliance in Great Britain: The role of law as a “threat” and as a “moral eye-opener”

Abstract

Great Britain presents a particular challenge for drinking-driving control. Because of the “beer culture,” there is a tendency for consumers to underestimate the potency of their drinks, and because of the “pub culture,” a very high proportion of drinking is done away from home. An earlier causal analysis of the effects of the 1967 British Road Safety Act revealed strong initial suppression of alcohol-related casualties; however, the effects appeared to deteriorate within a few months. The present review examines the long-term repercussions of the 1967 British Road Safety Act within the context of changes in per capita alcohol consumption, in public attitudes toward drinking drivers, and in levels of law enforcement. Although no direct causal influence could be attributed, there was circumstantial evidence that some combination of legal threat, public education, and moral persuasion led to substantial improvements in drinking-driving compliance among British drivers during the 1970s and 1980s.