Costs of Drinking and Driving in Brazil

A study performed in five Brazilian cities (Diadema, Belo Horizonte, Santos, Vitória, and São Paulo) found high rates (19.4%, 19.6%, 18.9%, 17.9%, and 20.0%, respectively) of drivers with blood alcohol concentrations higher than the legal permissible limit (0.6 g/l) [4]. Data from the World Health Organization indicate that 500,000 individuals are injured and 17,000 die every year in traffic accidents related to drinking and driving in the United States alone [5]. A study performed at a trauma centre in the city of São Paulo showed that 28.9% of trauma victims had alcohol in their blood [6]. Another study conducted in four Brazilian cities (Brasília, Curitiba, Recife and Salvador) found similar results: 27.2% of the victims of traffic accidents exhibited blood alcohol concentrations above 0.6g/l [7]. Considering only the direct victims of traffic accidents, the estimated social costs resulting from the sum of material damages, medical and hospital expenses, and loss of productivity is notably high and generates a heavy socioeconomic burden [8]. However, in addition to the direct victims, many other individuals are affected by the consequences of drinking and driving, such as the relatives of those victims.