Possible psychological actions to reduce driving under the influence of alcohol and the viability of their application in Spain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20882/adicciones.408Keywords:
Alcohol, Road Safety, Psychological Intervention, Traffic Offenders, LegislationAbstract
Recent modifications to the legislation on Traffic and Road Safety (Act 19/2001) reflect the necessity of clarifying the possible procedures to be followed when dealing with drivers penalised for driving under the influence of alcohol. After verifying the limited efficacy of the measures applied in Spain, and after reviewing actions in other countries, we highlight educational and therapeutic programmes as being the most structured and having the most favourable results. In this work, we present a description of these programmes as well as a number of recommendations on the best way of inserting them in our legislation. Among the guidelines that would probably contribute to improving the efficacy of these interventions, we highlight, for example, their immediate application following an infringement, once the participants are grouped in accordance with their consumption pattern and lifestyle. This leads us to propose educational programmes, based more on safe driving, for those offenders with minor consumption problems, and therapeutic programmes for alcohol-dependent offenders. Even so, we stress the need for not being restricted to closed programmes but to adjust interventions in accordance with the needs of those concerned. In addition, we stress the importance of having instructors specialising in road safety matters and with basic knowledge of addictions as the ones responsible for the educational programmes, and with specialized professionals in addiction to coordinate work with the conventional treatment centres, in such a way that the offender receives a bio-psycho-social treatment together with the therapeutic programme. In no case is the therapeutic programme considered to be sufficient, on its own, in preventing a repeat of the offence.References
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