ABSTRACT
Road accidents are the leading cause of death in European countries after the age of one year up to the age of about forty-five, and this disproportionate age distribution makes road accidents an important cause of loss of expectation of life, second only to malignant and cardiovascular disease. Early studies on alcohol, based on simple reaction time and tests of concentrating attention, yielded equivocal results, as it was not appreciated that driving is a complex skill requiring appropriate distribution of attention and differential reactions. The British government has spent millions of pounds on campaigns through mass media in attempts to modify the alcohol habit of drivers. Driving whilst under the influence of alcohol is part of the larger problem of alcohol abuse and the availability of alcohol is an important factor in prevention.
