Živković, Vladimir (36783131300)Vladimir (36783131300)ŽivkovićNikolić, Slobodan (7102082739)Slobodan (7102082739)NikolićLukić, Vera (55743833000)Vera (55743833000)LukićŽivadinović, Nenad (55080603400)Nenad (55080603400)ŽivadinovićBabić, Dragan (56197715200)Dragan (56197715200)Babić2025-06-122025-06-122013https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2013.01.012https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84878089108&doi=10.1016%2fj.aap.2013.01.012&partnerID=40&md5=1c962aef6fa5517aafb01ee7259d2ae5https://remedy.med.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/9318The aim of the study presented here has been to see what the effects of the new traffic safety law are, 2 years into its initial implementation, on driving under the influence of alcohol. Until the end of 2009, the legal limit for blood concentration for drivers in Serbia was 0.5 g/l; however, the new traffic safety law stipulates the new limit to be 0.3 g/l. A retrospective autopsy study was performed over a 6-year period (from 2006 to 2011) whose sample covered cases of fatally injured drivers who had died at the scene of the incident, before being admitted to hospital. A total of 161 fatally injured drivers were examined for their blood alcohol concentration. The average age for these drivers was 40.2 ± 15.4 years, with a significant male predominance of 152 men to 9 women (x2 = 152.000, p< 0.001). This study has shown no decrease in the ratio of drivers under the influence of alcohol vs. all drivers (Pearson x2=4.415, df=5, p = 0.491), nor in the number of drivers under the influence of alcohol (Pearson x2 = 6.629, df = 5, p = 0.250), nor a decrease in the mean blood alcohol concentration in drivers (1.72 ± 0.87 vs. 1.68 ± 0.95 g/l, t=0.177, df=80, p = 0.860). The conclusion of this study is that the new law has had a limited effect on driving under the influence of alcohol, which still remains one of the major human factors, responsible for road-traffic crashes in Serbia. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Alcohol consumptionBlood alcohol concentrationDrinking and drivingLegal limitLegislation