Editorial [DUI Recidivism: An Ongoing Traffic Safety Concern]

The effects of alcohol on driving ability have been thoroughly investigated during the past 50 years. Experimental studies have consistently shown that alcohol impairs cognitive and psychomotor performance in a dose-dependent manner including various driving related skills and abilities [1]. Driving simulator tests and driving tests in real traffic confirmed these findings. Epidemiological evidence and roadside studies revealed that people who drive under the influence (DUI) of alcohol are at increased risk of becoming involved in traffic accidents. The relationship between blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and traffic accident risk is illustrated in Fig. (1) (left figure). The data comes from a landmark study performed in the 1960s by Borkenstein and colleagues [2]. Many studies have followed and underlined the relationship between BAC and accident risk. During the past decade, many countries have lowered their legal BAC limits for driving a car and successfully reduced the number of alcohol-related traffic accidents.