CELEX: 51988PC0707
Language: en
Date: 1989-01-05
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE RELATING TO THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION FOR VEHICLE DRIVERS (presented by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (88) 707
Vol. 1988/0232
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                          COM(88 ) 707       final
                                           Brussels ,    5    December 1988
        PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE RELATING
          TO THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED BLOOD ALCOHOL
            CONCENTRATION FOR VEHICLE DRIVERS
                (presented by the Commission)
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 ---pagebreak---                        EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
General Comments
1 . One of the objectives of the common transport policy is to
     contribute effectively to the reduction of traffic
     accidents and resulting casualties , and to the improvement
     of traffic conditions . One of the initiatives through
     which a common policy on road safety can be progressively
     achieved is , the Commission believes , a Directive to
     establish a single maximum blood alcohol concentration
     for all drivers in the Community .
2 . A Parliamentary Resolution of 13 March 1984 ( 1 ), on the
     introduction of a programme of Community measures to
     promote road safety , recalled the duty of the Community to
     make every effort to improve road safety and specified
     that among those measures to which immediate priority
     should be given was the establishment of a single maximum
     permissible blood alcohol concentration of 0,80 milligram
     per milliliter of blood for all drivers . This was
     repeated in a further Resolution of 18 February 1986 on
     common measures to reduce accidents ( 2 ).
( 1 ) O.J. No C 104 , 16.04.1984 , P . 38
( 2 ) O.J. No C 68 , 24.03.1986 , P. 35
 ---pagebreak---                                     2
 3 . In its draft resolution on the implementation of a
       Community road safety programme , submitted to the Council
      on 20 March 1984 ( 1 ), the Commission recommended a number
      of measures to be taken in this context , including one
      concerning effects of alcohol and drugs . The Council
      Resolution of 19 December 1984 ( 2 ) welcomed the
      Commission 's initiative , affirmed the need to provide for
      Community action on road safety and invited the Commission
      to submit proposals , undertaking at the same time to
      ensure their rapid adoption .
4 . Despite measures to combat drink/ driving , alcohol
      continues to play a significant role in increasing the
      risks of road accidents . According to a recent OECD
      study , the percentage of drivers killed with an alcohol
      level in excess of 0,80 mg per ml of blood varies in
     member countries from 15 % to 45 % .      Moreover , in cases of
      fatal accidents involving adults , between one third and
     one half of drivers have been found to have a significant
      ( even if legal ) level of alcohol in the blood .
      ( See example Annex I ).
5 . Research findings indicate that drivers' reaction times
     increase , and their ability to process information
     decreases , where their blood alcohol concentration is as
      little as 0,50 mg / ml . From 0,50 mg / ml to 0,80 mg / ml the
     risk of an accident therefore increases ; over 0,80 mg / ml
     is the principal factor governing an accident , while with
     over 1,00 mg / ml all drivers run a high risk of having an
     accident ( see Annex II ).
( 1 ) O.J. No C 95 , 06.04.1984 , p. 2
( 2 ) O.J. No C 341 , 21.12.1984 , p. 1
 ---pagebreak---                                   3
     These problems are even more in evidence in those drivers
     most susceptible to alcohol , for example young people and
     infrequent drinkers .
6 . Community Member States have differing laws concerning the
    maximum permitted level of alcohol in a driver 's blood
     ( see Annex III ). In the light of the above considerations
    and in order to establish clear and strict legislation on
    this important issue and facilitate enforcement it is
    desirable that Member States' legislation in this field
    should be approximated . As reflected in Annex III , at
    present national legislations set either a limit of
    0,50 mg or one of 0,80 mg of alcohol per ml of blood ( or
    the breath or urine equivalents ). Current Statistics on
    drink driving demonstrate that the major task facing
    Member States is to ensure respect for current
    legislation , which in the majority of Member State is
    based on 0,80 mg / ml .
7 . However , a Community limit of 0,50 mg/ ml is the
    Commission 's preferred option . It would address the fact
    that young drivers or infrequent drinkers can be severely
    impaired even at this level , while even for more
    experienced drinkers , impairment starts at this level . A
    decision taken now to introduce a Community-Wide alcohol
    limit of 0,50 mg /ml of blood on 1.1.1993 would not
    immediatly affect the status quo in Member States but
    would establish the direction of future legislation and
    provide sufficient time to ensure proper enforcement once
    the limits enter into force .
 ---pagebreak---                                 4
8 . Therefore , the Commission is proposing that the maximum
    permitted level shall be 0,50 mg / ml as from
    1st January 1993 .
9 . The Commission accepts that the approximation of Member
    States' legal blood alcohol limits will not , in itself ,
    solve the problem of drink/ driving in the Community .  A
    multi-faceted approach by Member States is likely to be
    the most effective . Preventive measures now being carried
    out by some of them include
    - co-ordination of national publicity , information and
      enforcement practice
    - production and dissemination of better information on
      alcohol and its effects on driving
    - broadening of traffic education in schools
    - development of counselling procedures for drink/ drive
      of fenders .
 ---pagebreak---                                          ч
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Contents of the Proposai
1 . Article 1 specifies the categories of vehicles for which
    drivers are subject to this Directive .
2 . Article 2 provides for the single maximum permitted blood
    alcohol concentration for the whole Community of
    0,50 mg / ml on 1st January 1993 .
3 . Article 3 and 4 are the necessary administrative
    provisions for implementation of this Directive on
    national legislation .
                                                              Ù
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                           Annex I
                             Distribution of blood alcohol concentration ( BAC ) for different
                                 road users killed in accidents in Great Britain in 1984
                          Percentage of Fatalities with BAC exceeding
                     0.09       0.50    0.80    1.00    1.50     2.00         NUMBER IN SAMPLE
                     mg / ml    mg / ml mg / ml mg / ml mg / ml  mg / ml
   Motor Vehicle
   Drivers              35       29      26          25    16       8                 728
   Motorcycle
   Riders *             39       31      27          23    14       7                 499
   Example : 29% of the Motor Vehicle Drivers who were killed in an accident had more than
              0.5 mg / ml BAC .
   *
     Includes all two wheel motor vehicles riders .
-U
 ---pagebreak---                                                      ΛΝΝΕΧ II
                                          RISK AND ALCOHOL LEVELS
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                                   -             _        .-                  risk increases sharply above 100
                  0 (__!_I_L.1_I_I_I
                    0 10                 50         80       100             150                 200              BAC
                                                Alcohol content : blood – 8AC ( mg / 100 ml )
                                                Accident risk and blood / breath alcohol levels
                                                                                                         PA 1303.1
Tronsixirt and Roacl Research Lnborniory _
 ---pagebreak---                           ANNEX III
     Maximum permitted blood alcohol concentration
             for drivers in the Member States
                ( mg alcohol per ml blood )
Belgium              0,80
Federal Republic     0,80   ( 0,30 if there are other
                            indications of impairment such
                            as an accident )
Denmark              0,80
Spain                0,80   ( 0,50 for drivers of vehicles
                            transporting dangerous goods )
France               0,80
Greece               0,80   ( 0,50 if there are other
                            indications of impairment )
Ireland              0,80
Italy                0,80
Luxemburg            0,80
Netherlands          0,50
Portugal             0,50
United Kingdom       0,80
 ---pagebreak---           Proposal for a Council Directive relating to the
     maximum permitted blood alcohol concentration for drivers
 THE COUNCIL OP THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
 Economic Community and in particular Article 75 thereof ?
 Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ;
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ?
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee ?
Whereas one of the objectives of the common transport policy
 is to lay down common rules applicable to international
transport within the Community , in particular with regard to
safety conditions applying to road users in the Member
States ?
Whereas the growth of road traffic and the resulting increase
in danger present all Member States with safety problems of a
similar nature and seriousness ;
Whereas the resolution of 19 December 1984 adopted by the
Council and the representatives of the Governments of the
Member States of the European Communities , meeting within the
Council ( 1 ), undertook to ensure the rapid adoption of road
safety measures , and invited the Commission to submit
proposals ;
( 1 ) OJ N° C 341 21.12.1984 p.l
 ---pagebreak---                                    2
 Whereas drinking and driving is estimated to be a
 contributory factor in one third or more of the 50.000 road
deaths per year in the Community ;
Whereas the Resolution of 13 March 1984 of the European
Parliament on Road Safety ( 2 ) recommended that the Commission
submit as soon as possible proposals to establish a single
maximum permissible blood alcohol concentration of 0,80 mg / ml
for all drivers ; and whereas the Resolution of
18 February 1986 ( 3 ) reiterated this recommendation ;
Whereas the Member States have differing laws concerning the
maximum permitted level of alcohol in a driver 's blood ;
whereas intra-Community road traffic is substantial and
whereas therefore it is desirable to approximate laws
concerning the maximum permitted alcohol level in the blood
of drivers ;
Whereas laboratory tests have shown that drivers' reaction
time increases greatly , while their ability to process
information decreases greatly , where their blood alcohol
concentration exceeds 0,80 and whereas tests have also shown
that , above this level alcohol is the principal factor
governing the risk of an accident ;
Whereas it is proven that driving ability can be severely
impaired even at blood alcohol concentration of 0,50 and that
the risk of accident involvement in that case is more than
one and a half times as high as in the case of sober drivers-
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE     :
( 2 ) OJ No . C 104 16.04.1984 , p. 38 .
( 3 ) OJ No . C 68 24.3.1986 , p. 35 .
 ---pagebreak---                                 3
                            Article 1
For the purposes of this Directive " driver of a vehicle "
means any driver of a power driven vehicle with 3 or more
wheels and any rider on a power driven two wheel vehicle .
                            Article 2
The maximum permitted blood alcohol concentration for drivers
of vehicles shall be : no more than 0,50 mg alcohol per ml of
blood as from 1 January 1993
                            Article 3
1 . Member States shall , after consulting the Commission ,
    bring into force the laws , regulations and administrative
    provisions which are necessary in order to comply with
    this Directive within 12 months of its notification . They
    shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof .
2 . Member States shall ensure that the texts of the main
    provisions of national law which they adopt in the field
    covered by this Directive are communicated to the
    Commission .
                            Article 4
This Directive is addressed to the Member States .
Done at                               For the Council
                                                               AZ
 ---pagebreak---                COMPETITIVENESS AND IMPACT STATEMENT
This proposal aims at harmonizing the maximum permitted blood
alcohol concentration for vehicle drivers at the level of
0,5 mg alcohol per ml blood .
At present all Member States have a legal limit which varies
from 0,5 mg / ml to 0,8 mg / ml .
This proposal has no impact on small and medium entreprises .