“Thousands of times, nothing happened. A thousand and one nights… and then BOOM!” This catchy phrase and a familiar tune are at the heart of the latest traffic safety campaign from the state of Tyrol. In collaboration with the Tyrol police and the Traffic Safety Board, the campaign focuses on “Alcohol and Drugs at the Wheel” and aims to promote responsible driving behavior and awareness of accident risks due to impairment over the next two years. The campaign targets all types of drivers, including those of cars, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, and scooters.
The campaign includes roadside signs, information in bars, clubs, and restaurants, radio spots, and films on social media and in cinemas, all supported by increased police checks in Tyrol.
In 2023, Tyrolean police traffic checks stopped around 3,900 drivers under the influence of alcohol and approximately 1,000 drivers under the influence of drugs. Drug-related incidents have notably increased, from 418 in 2020 to the current figures.
Alcohol was the main cause in about 275 accidents in 2023, resulting in 332 injuries and three fatalities. Drug impairment led to 13 accidents, causing 21 injuries and one death.
Double the Accident Risk at 0.5 BAC
Accident risk rises significantly with blood alcohol content (BAC): at 0.5 BAC, the risk is double that of sober drivers; at 0.8 BAC, it is four times higher.
Widespread Driving Under Influence of Alcohol and Drugs
A 2023 study commissioned by the Traffic Safety Board found:
- Over 650,000 people admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year. This trend has decreased among women since 2017 but increased again among men since 2021.
- Approximately 250,000 people reported driving under the influence of drugs in the past year, a number that has steadily risen since 2017. While the number of male drivers under the influence of drugs (160,000) has remained relatively stable, the number among women has sharply increased to 90,000.
*Survey on driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs in the past 12 months; 1,000 respondents, extrapolated to the total population.
(Source: Dark Field Study Drugs 2023 – Institute for Empirical Social Research GmbH – December 2023)
Additional Statistics | Austria
- In 2022, 85% of drivers caught under the influence of alcohol were male, with 77% having a BAC over 1.0.
- The average age of these drivers was 41, with the youngest being 13 and the oldest 90.
- 56% were driving a car, while 31% were on bicycles.
- December had the highest percentage of alcohol-related accidents at 9%.
- In absolute numbers, July saw the most alcohol-related accidents in Austria with 337, accounting for 12% of the year’s total.
Find more from the Region of the Tyrol (Austria, May 2024)
Alcohol Awareness 