Approximately 50 people lose their lives a year due to drug or drunk driving, according to figures from the Swedish Transport Administration. The police do not see that the accidents caused by impaired drivers are decreasing.
It has therefore been decided that between 9 and 15 December, extra controls will be introduced in the traffic – throughout the country. The reason is that the police see that affected people are still recurring in traffic accidents.
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Extra traffic controls are introduced – between 9 and 15 December
– This week, the police will be seen extra in traffic. We hope that it will contribute to more people not getting behind the wheel drunk – then we can prevent potentially very serious traffic accidents, says Ursula Edstromtraffic strategist at the police, in a press release.
The checks will be sobriety checks, and the person who will be checked will be allowed to blow into a so-called screening instrument. If the instrument shows that the alcohol level is above the legal limit, the police will take two more breath samples to check the level.
The average value of the alcohol content of these samples can later be used as a basis in the event that the prosecutor or court decides on a penalty and possibly calls for the driver’s license to be revoked.
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25 percent of fatal accidents are drug- or alcohol-related
– Most people in traffic drive sober – but the few who drive under the influence pose a great risk to themselves and others. Alcohol and drugs are involved in nearly a quarter of fatal traffic accidents, says Maria Krafftdirector of traffic safety at the Swedish Transport Administration, in the press release from the police.
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In recent years, 25 percent of fatal accidents on the roads have been caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
– We know that alcohol and drugs have a major impact on the body. Reaction time becomes longer, while attention and coordination deteriorate significantly. This of course has major consequences for motorists’ driving ability, says Edström in the press release “Extra sobriety checks throughout the country”.