Effect on Traffic Safety of Lowering the Drinking Age in Three Australian States

Abstract

Lowering of the drinking age in three Australian States was found to adversely affect traffic safety. In the case of the South Australian reduction from 20 to 18 years the significant increase in the number of male drivers and motorcyclists injured still existed four to six years later. For Western Australia and Queensland different results were obtained for the metropolitan and Rest-of-State areas. A highly significant increase in drink-driving enforcement activity in Queensland was not able to contain the adverse effect on traffic safety of increasing the availability of alcoholic beverages.