Sweden gets tough on drunks

2005-12-07 07:18

Alison Lapp

Brussels - Sweden has said it wants an exemption from European Union trade rules so it can keep drunk drivers off the road - by forcing new cars to come equipped with a breathalyser device.

On Tuesday, Ulrica Messing, Sweden's communications minister, told a meeting of European parliament members and transport industry experts that other EU nations should follow Sweden's example to make roads across Europe safer.

Messing spoke of alcohol interlock technology - palm-sized devices that test a driver's breath and lock the ignition when the blood alcohol level exceeds a preset limit.

Some commercial vehicles and taxicabs have already been fitted with "alcolocks" in Sweden.

The country is considering requiring all new cars in the country to be installed with the device by 2012.

Messing said: "Today, we travel in a borderless Europe. This means we all share the benefits of the improvements in road safety that our member states achieve. But it also means we need each other."

Alcohol consumption figures in 30% of all fatal car accidents in Sweden

Requiring that all new cars come equipped with alcolocks in Sweden may generate legal problems. Under EU trade rules, countries cannot legally imposing safety measures on new cars that are not required elsewhere in the EU.

'We cannot afford to forgo this chance'

Messing said that Sweden should be granted an exemption from that rule because the safety of its citizens was at stake.

She added that all Europeans can benefit from the alcolocks technology.

Messing said: "Swedish experts believe alcohol-related road accidents can be halved if all cars are fitted with an alcolock. We cannot afford to forgo this chance."

The EU's road safety programme estimates that 10 000 Europeans die each year because of drunk driving.

Messing said cross-border travel in the EU is expected to increase twice as fast as domestic travel in the coming years.

Jan Sundling, CEO of the Swedish transport company Green Cargo, said his company has installed alcolocks in all its vehicles.

Alcolocks cost about #8364;1 000 (R7 400) each and should be tested twice a year.

Sundling said the technology has been a success story for his company, adding that the devices have improved customer confidence in his business and given a better reputation to the transportation industry.

According to Swedish road safety director, Claes Tingvall, there is not much demand for the devices in private cars.

- AP