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An epidemic is raging: And we are not talking about the corona

Police have released the 2020 data on enforcement, and among the numbers there is one figure that requires delay.

The decrease in the number of rental reports was only 20 percent despite the closure of leisure centers and the absence of events.

And that already reveals a much bigger problem

Tags

• driving under the influence

• drunkenness

• Alcohol

• enforcement

• police

• green light

Keenan Cohen

Sunday, 03 January 2021, 12:53

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There are no restaurants, events, entertainment venues, clubs and pubs, but the decrease in the number of reports does not reflect this (Photo: Police Spokeswoman)

Warning: The following two data may make you slightly nauseous.

According to a study by the United States Highway Safety Authority NHTSA, when the blood alcohol level is 0.05 percent multiplied by the chance of being involved in an accident.

2. The permissible alcohol content in the blood of a driver in Israel is 0.05 percent.

That is, we could end it here, the State of Israel knowingly, with authority, authority and negligence allows its citizens to drive with a blood alcohol level that doubles their chances of being involved in a car accident.

The police are doing everything they can to enforce, but comparing the data of previous years and also the last year causes discomfort to anyone who understands the significance of this data.

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And despite the easy solution, this is not enforcement, in 2016 6,540 reports were given for drunk driving, 6,708 the following year, in 2018 7,300 reports were given for drunk driving and in 2019 the number was 7,257 reports.

All of these are lower than the astronomical number of 9,771 reports from 2014. By the way, the decrease in the number of reports should not be credited to drivers, it was the police who reduced the breath tests, according to the State Comptroller's report on this issue in 2015. Drivers involved in road accidents as a result of drunk driving have not changed.

The amount of reports on drunk driving 2013-2019 (Source: Israel Police)

How ineffective this activity can also be learned from the data released last Friday, 5,887 reports of drunkenness were given during 2020 according to police data.

A 20 percent drop from that of 2019 sounds very negligible given the conditions that accompanied this year.

For despite the closures and shutdowns of entertainment venues, closing of events, restaurants, pubs and more, thousands of drivers have been caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

And the actual data may be even more difficult, in Israel, unlike in Europe, there is no obligation to check the alcohol rate among those involved in fatal accidents and this test is only done on suspected drunk drivers.

In Europe as stated in every fatal accident the amount of alcohol in the blood of the drivers involved is checked, under this policy, it appears that 25 per cent of those killed, every fourth person killed in a car accident is killed due to alcohol involvement.

According to a report by the National Road Safety Authority published in February this year, citing a survey conducted in 2019 in which 20 percent of the Jewish population admitted that during the year they drove after drinking alcohol above the legal limit.

About 50 percent of drivers are caught in the city, these are the leading cities in drunk driving reports 2018-2019

"Not afraid to get caught"

Erez Kita, CEO of the Green Light Association: “Drunk driving is one of the most dangerous and irresponsible actions that cause road accidents.

When the courts mitigate the punishment of drunk drivers they send a misleading message to the public, a message that sticks a head in such a serious and fatal offense.

The country’s great failure is in the misunderstanding of a large portion of the public that drunk driving is life-threatening.

In addition, we see that the public is not afraid to be caught by the police and continues to drink and get behind the wheel.

The State of Israel must declare a war of attrition on drunk drivers who endanger the lives of all of us on the road.

The number of vehicles that will perform alcohol tests all year round and get drunk drivers off the road must be increased.

At the same time, the courts must aggravate the punishment of drivers who choose to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel.

"We must create such a deterrent atmosphere that will strengthen the drivers' understanding that those who choose to drink alcohol and drive will be caught and pay a heavy price, one that will not be worth risking the lives of all of us."

Alcohol enforcement operation by the traffic police (Photo: Police spokeswoman)

Two European countries, Estonia and Latvia, have declared a war of attrition on drunk driving.

In Estonia to 0.02 percent for all drivers, the number of fatalities as a result of drunk driving in the decade 2006-2016 fell by 89 percent.

In Latvia, the number allowed for young people was reduced from 0.05 percent to 0.02 percent and the death rate dropped by 80 percent.

According to the National Road Safety Authority report, the most effective solution to the drunk driving phenomenon is based on a combination of several factors generally divided into two - external motivation of legislation, deterrence, enforcement and punishment and motivational measures that will lead to long-term change - advocacy, publicity and rehabilitation programs.

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