How to design and implement a drinking and driving programme pdf ...

Module 3: How to design and implement a drinking and driving programme
BOX 3.4: Suraksha Sanchara preliminary investigation, Bangalore, India
In 2000, GRSP and Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF) facilitated the development of a partnership road
safety programme for Bangalore known as Suraksha Sanchara (Safe Travel). As part of the first phase of
the project, the National Institute for Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) led a study to establish
the extent of the problem of crashes involving drinking and driving, and exploring knowledge, attitudes and
practices among drivers with regard to drinking and driving.
The study ran in two phases: the first was a hospital-based study covering 12 major hospitals in Bangalore,
and the second was a roadside survey undertaken during the same period.
The hospital surveys revealed that nearly 28% of traffic injuries were attributable to alcohol. A typical case
would involve a young man, semi-literate, who had been excessively drinking spirits in a bar, alone or partying,
then getting on a two wheeler and sustaining injuries in a skid or head-on collision.
The roadside survey revealed that the proportion of drivers under the influence of alcohol varied from 11%
(as detected by the older methodology of police testing drivers selectively on suspicion) to 40% (as detected
by the newer methodology of random checking). Among those testing positive, 35% were above the legally
permissible BAC limit – 0.03 – when checked with a breathalyzer. Again, it was typically a young male (25–39
years), literate, who had been drinking heavily in bars or at parties, who was knowledgeable about hazards
of drinking but ignorant of dangers or legal consequences, who was posing greater dangers on the road.
Bus and matador mini bus drivers comprised nearly one quarter of those testing positive.
Based on the results of the study, ten recommendations were put forward by policy-makers, professionals,
public and press. These recommendations included:
• strict enforcement programmes with stiff penalties must be undertaken by the police;
• awareness programmes must focus on 25–45 year-olds, two wheeler drivers, heavy vehicle drivers, and
people drinking in bars and retail stores;
• systematic training and awareness programmes for bartenders and retail shop owners to help them limit
the sale of alcohol to customers, especially those reaching danger levels;
• governments should seriously consider closing times for bars and limiting last-minute service in bars to
one hour before closure. Also, public transport must be easily accessible and available to deter people
from driving after drinking;
• hospital-based surveillance (active reporting system) must be established to report all road traffic injuries
(on a few vital parameters) to document long-term changing patterns and track the ongoing epidemic.
Further, all hospitals should compulsorily check for breath/blood alcohol levels among traffic injuries.
More information: www.nimhans.kar.nic.in/deaddiction/lit/BATFReport.pdf
3.2.3 Setting clear targets
Once the main problems are clear and the general objectives have been set, specific
targets can be set. The objective to decrease the incidence of drinking and driving,
for instance, might be stated as “decreasing the number of crashes caused by a driver
impaired by alcohol by a specified amount, over a given time period”. It is generally
preferable to set measurable, time-limited objectives; these can be expressed in terms
of a target, for example, percentage reduction (or improvement) to be achieved
by a certain date. Having targets generally results in more realistic road safety programmes,
a better use of public funds and other resources, and greater credibility of
those operating the programmes (3).
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