[Alcohol and safety in street traffic--investigations in epidemiology and the approximation of traffic laws in Europe].

After an introductory presentation of the problem-complex, "Alcohol and Road Traffic Safety", and the past history of a danger-limiting value of 0.5%, the paper gives an extensive overview of the meaning, the development and the possibilities of an epidemiology (with statistics) of alcohol delinquency in road traffic. The various measures employed in different European countries for the combatting and punishment of "Alcohol in Road Traffic" as a cause of accidents will be thoroughly considered, and the necessary steps to be taken in the area of legislation, intensity of prosecution and penal sanctions will be pointed out. Our own epidemiological-statistical investigations with the cooperation of 28 further European institutes record the total distribution and the relative distribution of the blood alcohol concentration of listed road users and those listed who had been drinking, for the 2nd halve of 1989, in the institutes, governments and governmental groups taking part in the study. Thereby result characteristic frequency profiles with an assured tendency, and relative estimated numbers of unknown cases (beneath a BAC of 1%) as definite evidence of differing limiting value- and traffic surveillance-efficiency in various regions of Europe. The final conclusion will be drawn that the height of the limiting value alone is not able to make decisive contribution to an improvement in road traffic safety if the highly variable relativity of limiting value-efficiency is not considered at the same time, and complex, closely connected accompanying measures as an adjunct to legislation and the administration of justice are not carried out. Recommendations will be formulated concerning this matter. Further epidemiological-statistical analyses of the problem "Alcohol and Road Traffic Safety" are being prepared in cooperation with 16 European institutes and will be put together in a 2nd part of this multicenter study for T 92 (The 12th Conference of the International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Road-Safety in Cologne, 28. September-2. October 1992).