Sven Hultman

1
Sven Hultman

• Legal Adviser at the Swedish Road Administration
• Member of the European Driving Licence Committee
• Road Safety Consultant in Costa Rica and Morocco

2
Sweden -The country of Abba, Absolut Vodka,
Saab, and Volvo

• 200 years of peace
• 9 million inhabitants
• 6 million driving licenses
• 6 7 million registered motor vehicles

3
Long tradition of alcohol restrictions

• State monopoly for the sale of all beverages with
  more than 3.5 alcohol
• Drinks expensive due to high taxation
• DWI limit is BACgt0.02
• Driving licence revocation if violated
• Zero tolerance for DUI of illegal drugs and
  narcotics

4
1997 The Vision Zero

• Nobody should get killed or seriously wounded in
  road traffic
• Shared responsibility between Man, Road, and
  Vehicle
• Reduction of fatalities from 540 to 440

5
Driving Licence Law 1998

• Revocation grounds
• DWI
• Running away from an accident
• Repeated minor traffic offences
• Speeding or other serious traffic offence
• Non-reliability regarding sobriety
• Gross criminality
• Medical reasons
• Refusal to supply a requested doctors certificate

6
How does the relevant information reach the
driving licence authorities?

• Police
• Criminal courts
• Medical doctors

7
Entry of alcolocks in Sweden

• The first trial period 1999 2004
• Limited to three counties
• Limited to one private car for each participant
• No trucks, buses or public transports allowed

8
Entry of alcolocks in Sweden

• The second trial period 2004 2009
• The whole country involved
• Possibility for the participant to use more than
  one vehicle with alcolock
• Buses and trucks, including public transports,
  allowed

9
Entry of alcolocks in Sweden

• Rules common for the whole trial period
• All DWI offenders welcome except drug abusers
• Approval of an application breaks off the DL
  ban period
• Participation period is two years
• Medical check-ups with bio-marker tests every
  third month
• Normal bio-marker levels showing a sober
  living should be presented during the second year
• Repeated breath tests indicating alcohol are
  not accepted
• No driving outside Sweden
• New full licence with the former categories
  after completion of the programme

10
Entry of alcolocks in Sweden

• Experience so far
• Success for those who manage to finish the
  programme
• Only 11 13 of the target group apply
• The costs (4,000 USD per year) an excluding
  factor (but also a motivating factor for those
  who decide to invest in the programme)
• 40 50 drop out due to the strict requirements

11
Government Investigation 2004-2006

• Some proposals in the study
• Legislation needed regarding function, testing
  and control of alcolock devices
• Alcolock recommendad as a tool for improved
  working environment and for rehabilitation
• It should not be possible for a DWI offender to
  regain a DL without using an alcolock
• All motor vehicles used by the public
  administration should be equipped with alcolocks

12
Government Investigation 2004-2006

• Considerations in the report
• Strong connection between total alcohol
  consumption in society and DWI
• Even very small concentrations of BAC among
  drivers indicate alcohol problems
• Alcolock in all vehicles would be a useful tool
  to reduce the increasing alcohol consumption and
  to reduce the fatalities in road accidents
  (estimated reduction 25 )
• A majority in the Swedish Parliament in favour of
  mandatory alcolocks in all new cars in the future

13
Government strategy 2007

1. Independent evaluation of the offender programme
2. Alcolock in all new buses from 2010
3. Alcolock in all new trucks as soon as possible
4. Gradual introduction of alcolocks in all public
   transports
5. Continue to stimulate further introduction of
   alcolocks as a guarantee of quality among
   enterprises
6. Alcolock in all new cars when user-friendly
   devices are available on the market
7. Development of the technology accredited body
   should perform testing and control

14
Crime Prevention

• Less focus on alcolock as a punishment tool
• Strengthen the picture of alcolock as a tool for
  safe transports for everybody

15
Possible permanent solutions after the trial

• Develop new permanent programmes for both
  offenders and not-yet offenders (drivers with
  alcohol problems)
• Keep the strict requirements for completion of
  the programme but stop using them as an excluding
  factor
• Extend the participation time for those who fail
  until they can show sober living during one year

16
Final conclusion

• Is alcolock in all vehicles an utopia?
• I dont think so.
• Thanks for your attention!