Police and driving instructors in Fukuoka, Japan, have taken a unique step to combat drunk driving: they’re letting drivers experience the effects of alcohol before they drive!
Top key points
- Japanese police and driving instructors are using an unorthodox approach to road safety by allowing drivers to consume alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
- The aim is to convince “overconfident” motorists never to drink and drive.
- The initiative was launched around the 17th anniversary of the deaths of three children who were killed by a drunk driver.
- Drivers taking part in the experiment were first asked to negotiate three sections of road sober.
- They then drank alcohol and were re-tested.
- The results showed that the drivers were significantly impaired by the alcohol, even though they felt confident that they were still able to drive safely.
- The police believe that this approach can help to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and prevent people from driving after drinking.
Drink-driving
The Chikushino driving school, based in the southwestern city of Fukuoka, introduced these controlled drink-driving experiences as part of a broader policy initiative. The goal? To debunk the myth held by overconfident drivers that they can drive safely after having a few drinks.
The campaign took root on the 17th anniversary of a heart-wrenching incident. Three young children from the city tragically lost their lives in a collision caused by a government employee driving under the influence.
Japan
The Mainichi Shimbun sent two reporters to participate. They first tackled three road sections while sober: a slalom, an S-bend, and a series of tight curves. Then, reporter Hyelim Ha drank beer, plum wine, and shochu spirit for over an hour. A subsequent breathalyzer test revealed she had double the legal limit of alcohol in her system.
Despite showing physical signs of intoxication, Ha believed she could still drive competently. However, as her colleague, Rokuhei Sato, observed, her driving became erratic. Ha’s overconfidence led her to accelerate and decelerate unnecessarily and even veer into the opposite lane at one point.
Overconfident drivers
Shojiro Kubota, the school’s vice head, intervened for safety reasons. He pointed out that even if drivers feel they’re in control, alcohol impairs essential driving skills like judgment, cognition, and vehicle manoeuvring.
The Japanese national police agency shared alarming data: the likelihood of a fatal traffic accident increases sevenfold when the driver has consumed alcohol.
Alcohol
Yoichi Furukawa, deputy chief of the prefectural police’s traffic enforcement division, urges people to make smart choices. His advice? Don’t drive to the pub in the first place. Once intoxicated, you can’t trust your judgment.
Here are the pros and cons of the unorthodox approach to road safety through controlled drink-driving experiences as described:
Pros:
- Real-World Experience: Drivers get a hands-on understanding of how alcohol affects their ability to drive. Experiencing the impairment can be more impactful than just being told about it.
- Awareness & Education: This initiative educates participants about the very real dangers of drunk driving and dispels myths or overconfidence.
- Controlled Environment: The exercise takes place in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of actual harm.
- Publicity: Such unorthodox methods can garner significant media attention, further spreading awareness about the dangers of drunk driving.
- Behavioural Change: Directly confronting overconfident drivers with the potential consequences of their actions can lead to long-term behaviour change.
- Data Collection: Authorities can collect data from these experiments, which can help in further campaigns or policy decisions.
Cons:
- Ethical Concerns: Some might argue that letting someone drink and then encouraging them to drive, even in a controlled environment, is unethical.
- Potential Accidents: Even in a controlled environment, there’s always a risk of an accident or injury.
- Mimicry Concerns: There’s a possibility that some individuals might replicate the experiment outside of the controlled environment, leading to real-world dangers.
- Limited Scope: The experiment might not reflect real-world scenarios, as participants know they’re in a controlled environment and might behave differently.
- Cost: Organizing such experiments and ensuring safety can be resource-intensive.
- False Security: Those who perform relatively well during the test might develop a false sense of security about their ability to drink and drive.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while it might seem counterintuitive to let drivers drink and then drive, this controlled environment shines a spotlight on the real dangers of overconfidence and alcohol. It’s a sobering reminder of why we should never mix drinking with driving.
