Driving under the influence of alcohol in Germany. Primary data from the study.
Other AreasAuthors(s) / Creator(s)
Krüger, Hans-PeterVollrath, Mark
Abstract
On January 1, 1993 the blood alcohol limit of 0 mg/ml was officially increased to 0.8 mg/ml in the new German states (since the reunification). To examine the effects of this legal measure, more than 20,000 motorists from Thuringia and Lower Franconia (control region) were stopped and briefly questioned by police about their drinking and driving behavior during the times of late 1992, spring 1993, and spring 1994. Breathalyzer tests were also administered. In a follow-up survey, a selected sample of the drivers was interviewed by telephone. The main issues examined in the project were: (1) determining the frequency of driving while under the influence of alcohol, (2) investigating the situational and personal factors influencing the decision to drive under the influence of alcohol, and (3) evaluating the effect of the legal change in the blood alcohol limit.
Data is presented in the context of the 21198 driver surveys carried out during the aforementioned traffic controls.
Persistent Identifier
https://doi.org/10.5160/psychdata.krhs94fa20Year of Publication
2004Funding
How to cite
Study Description
Research Questions/Hypotheses:
Research Design:
Combined Standardized Survey Instruments (Combination of various standardized sections); repeated measurements
Measurement Instruments/Apparatus:
The questionnaire was designed around the following battery of questions:
- How many drivers drive under the influence of alcohol?
- How risky is drinking and driving?
- What can be done about drinking and driving?
The survey instrument format consists of both closed questions and a few open answer questions. The questions were processed in part by a special collection-point field coordinator (especially data concerning the general situation in which the data was collected) or by the particular interviewer (excerpts from the passenger-provided information and coding of information concerning noncooperative drivers).
Additionly, data were used which was gathered by the interviewers using calibrated instruments to measure breath values . Most of the data, however, were directly asked of the car drivers and noted by the interviewer.
Content can be divided into several areas: coding of the survey wave, survey situation and response behavior, examination of alcohol and drugs/medications intake, driver and passenger information, information concerning alcohol consumption, experience of control situations, route information, existing alcohol limits and penalties, information concerning the dangers of driving, driving while intoxicated, blood alcohol limits and traffic controls, information concerning most recent car accident, car information.
Data Collection Method:
Data collection in the presence of an experimenter
- individual Administration
- special equipment or measuring instruments: Dräger Alcotest 7410 a manufacturer-calibrated device for measuring breath alcohol levels.
Population:
Representative of driving in Germany (KONTIV 89) with regards to age, gender, day of week and time of day by weighting
Survey Time Period:
Three data collection waves:
November-December 1992
April-May 1993
April-May 1994
Sample:
A random selection of rest stops in Lower Franconia and Thüringen and a random selection of drivers off the road. Surveys focused on weekend nights, though other times of day and days of the week were also surveyed.
Gender Distribution:
24,1% female subjects (n=5107)
75,3% male subjects (n=15952)
Age Distribution: 18-24 years; 25-49 years; 50 years or older
Spatial Coverage (Country/Region/City): Germany/Lower Franconia; Thüringen
Subject Recruitment:
Selection of drivers by the police.
Sample Size:
21189 individuals
Return/Drop Out:
Of the drivers selected by the police, 96.1% answered the relevant questions.
MD5: c3b8201f388f90a13c2417b06274bd24
MD5: b7733ae8f647267157bce6aa94e2650c
| Position | Name | Label | Valid Values | Missing Values |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
OW
|
Ort der Erhebung: Unterfranken oder Thüringen
|
0 "Thüringen"
1 "Unterfranken"
|
-9 "Fehlender Wert"
|
|
2
|
CODEWELL
|
Nummer der Erhebungswelle
|
1 "Erste Welle"
2 "Zweite Welle"
3 "Dritte Welle"
|
-9 "Fehlender Wert"
|
|
3
|
FSEX
|
Insasseninformation: Geschlecht des Fahrers
|
0 "männlich"
1 "weiblich"
|
-9 "fehlender Wert: keine Angabe"
|
|
4
|
AAKNEU
|
Alkotest: Atemalkoholkontrolle des Fahrers, exakter Wert
|
0,00-2,54 "Promille"
|
-9,99 "fehlender Wert: keine Angabe"
|
|
5
|
ZU_UNT
|
Untergruppen für rechtsmedizinische Untersuchung: Speicheluntersuchung: Art der Stichprobe (nur erfaßt in Wellen 1 und 2)
|
1 "Unterfranken, Welle 1, nüchtern"
2 "Unterfranken, Welle 1, mit Alkohol"
3 "Thüringen, Welle 1, mit Alkohol"
4 "Unterfranken, Welle 2, mit Alkohol"
5 "Thüringen, Welle 2, mit Alkohol"
6 "Unterfranken, Welle 1, Angaben zum Alkoholisierungsgrad fehlen"
7 "Thüringen, Welle 1, nüchtern"
8 "Unterfranken, Welle 2, nüchtern"
9 "Unterfranken, Welle 2, Angaben zum Alkoholisierungsgrad fehlen"
|
-10 "fehlender Wert: keine Angabe oder in Erhebungswelle nicht erfaßt"
|
|
6
|
UNT_MED
|
Ergebnis der rechtsmedizinischen Untersuchung: Auf Drogen/Medikamente untersucht? (nur erfaßt in Wellen 1 und 2)
|
0 "trocken"
1 "OK"
2 "auf Alkohol"
|
-9 "fehlender Wert: nicht relevant"
-10 "fehlender Wert: in Erhebungswelle nicht erfaßt"
|
|
7
|
ZU_ALK
|
Untergruppen für rechtsmedizinische Untersuchung: Speicheluntersuchung Alkohole: Art der Stichprobe (nur erfaßt in Wellen 1 und 2)
|
1 "Thüringen, Welle 1, nüchtern"
2 "Thüringen, Welle 1, mit Alkohol"
3 "Thüringen, Welle 2, mit Alkohol"
4 "Unterfranken, Welle 1, nüchtern"
5 "Unterfranken, Welle 1, mit Alkohol"
|
-9 "fehlender Wert: keine Angabe oder in Erhebungswelle nicht erfaßt"
|
|
8
|
UNT_ALK
|
Ergebnis der rechtsmedizinischen Untersuchung: Speicheluntersuchung Alkohole: Auf Alkohole untersucht? (nur erfaßt in Wellen 1 und 2)
|
0 "trocken"
1 "OK"
2 "Medikamente/Drogen"
|
-9 "fehlender Wert: nicht relevant"
-10 "fehlender Wert: in Erhebungswelle nicht erfaßt"
|
|
9
|
DADD
|
Datum des Untersuchungstages: Tag
|
1-31 "Tag der Datumsangabe"
|
-99 "Fehlender Wert"
|
|
10
|
DAMM
|
Datum des Untersuchungstages: Monat
|
4 "April"
5 "Mai"
6 "Juni"
10 "Oktober"
11 "November"
12 "Dezember"
|
-9 "Fehlender Wert"
|
| Further Reading |
|---|
|
EMNID (1991). KONTIV 89. Bericht zur Methode, Anlagenband und Tabellenteil. Bielefeld: EMNID.
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Kazenwadel, J. & Vollrath, M. (1997). The dark number of driving while intoxicated in Germany - how many intoxicated drivers are detected? In C. Mercier-Guyon (Ed.), Alcohol, drugs and traffic safety - T'97 (pp. 1153-1158). CERMT: Annecy.
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Krüger, H.-P. & Schöch, H. (1993). Absenkung der Promillegrenze. Ein zweifelhafter Beitrag zur Verkehrssicherheit. Deutsches Autorecht, 62, 334-343.
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Krüger, H.-P. & Schöch, H. (1995) Generalprävention - Gruppenprävention - Spezialprävention. Der Alkoholunfall und seine rechtliche Behandlung. In H.-P. Krüger (Hrsg.), Das Unfallrisiko unter Alkohol. Analyse - Konsequenzen - Maßnahmen (S. 150-158). Stuttgart: Fischer.
PSYNDEX
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Krüger, H.-P. (1994). Gruppenspezifität der Generalprävention - was aus einer Erhöhung der Promillegrenze zu lernen ist. In A. Eser, H. J. Kullmann, L. Meyer-Goßner, W. Odersky & R. Voss (Hrsg.), Straf- und Strafverfahrensrecht, Recht und Verkehr, Recht und Medizin. Festschrift für Hans-Karl Salger (S. 495-509). Köln: Heymann.
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Krüger, H.-P. (1995). Differential effects of deterrence - What can be learned from raising a BAC limit. In N. Kloeden & A. J. McLean (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (pp. 386-396). Road Accident Research Unit: University of Adelaide, Australia.
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Krüger, H.-P. (1997). Auftreten und Risiken von Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr - Möglichkeiten generalpräventiver Maßnahmen. Zeitschrift für Verkehrsrecht, 5, 146-154.
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Krüger, H.-P., Kohnen, R. & Schöch, H. (Hrsg.). (1995). Medikamente im Straßenverkehr. Stuttgart: Fischer.
PSYNDEX
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Krüger, H.-P., Reiss, J. A., Kazenwadel, J., Vollrath, M., Hilsenbeck, T. & Krause, W. (1995). The German roadside survey 1992-1994. In N. Kloeden & A. J. McLean (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (pp. 172-178). Road Accident Research Unit: University of Adelaide, Australia.
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Magerl, H., Hein, P. M. & Schulz, E. (1994). Ethanol und Begleitstoffe im Speichel: Ergebnisse, gewonnen unter Feld- und Laborbedingungen. Zentralblatt Rechtsmedizin, 42, 442.
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