The need to legally amend the maximum alcohol permissible limit for drivers is recommended in a study on Prevalence of Drink Driving in the country. The study recommends the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) and Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA) to bring down the maximum alcohol permissible from 0.08 to 0.05 gram per decilitre.
The study conducted in 2017 in Thimphu shows that a significant number of people are found drinking beyond the permissible limit while driving.
About 13 per cent of the respondents were found alcohol positive of which, 4.2 per cent were found consuming alcohol beyond the legally permissible level. As per this finding, drink driving is common in Bhutan.
The study also found about 11 per cent of the drivers consumed alcohol to the probable driving impairment level. This level translates to consumption of alcohol in between 0.02 gram to 0.05 gram per decilitre.
Impaired driving means operating a vehicle while one’s ability to do so has been compromised to any degree by consuming alcohol, drugs or a combination of the two.
“It mostly involves men. The other finding is that even on Tuesdays when it is considered as a dry day where alcohol is not allowed to be sold, our study found out that there were a significant number of people drinking,” Dr Tashi Tenzin, the Researcher of Prevalence of Drink Driving, said.
The study also recommends regular breath tests and yearly campaigns on road safety and drink driving among others.
The RSTA and RBP’s Traffic Division carried out the survey since the country has a high incidence of alcohol-related diseases. The investigation was done on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights. The eight-month-long study covered around 1,600 drivers.
