Road traffic crashes are one of the main causes of injury and death worldwide. It is widely known that impairment by alcohol is an important factor in causing crashes and in worsening the consequences of crashes. Alcohol impairment increases the likelihood of a crash since it increases reaction time and decreases visual acuity; it reduces vigilance and concentration. It results in poorer judgement and slower reflexes on the one hand, and increased confidence on the other. When alcohol is consumed in high quantities, users may experience confusion, blurred vision, clumsiness, memory loss, nausea, passing out, and even coma and death. Alcohol impairment also leads to more serious consequences of a crash since it affects other aspects of traffic safety such as seatbelt wearing, helmet use, and speed choice.
Countries all over the world are taking action to reduce drink driving. IARD, the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, is working to enhance these efforts and optimize the use of resources. One key aspect of maximizing the impact of available resources is the careful and continuous evaluation of interventions. This helps to ensure that effective interventions will be maintained and replicated, and that ineffective interventions can be improved or eliminated. This publication, developed and written by SWOV, provides general guidelines, dos and don’ts, and advice and considerations for performing evaluation studies. The guidelines target road safety professionals in low- and middle-income countries who do not have a scientific or statistical background. The main aim is to give the audience a taste of evaluation research, allowing them, for example, to make decisions about the set-up of a study, and to understand the scope and limitations of study results.
