Evaluation of legislation to reduce the drink drive limit in Scotland
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN38602189 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN38602189 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | NIHR PHR 14/186/58 |
- Submission date
- 02/05/2017
- Registration date
- 27/06/2017
- Last edited
- 11/07/2023
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Since 5th December 2014, drivers and riders of vehicles in Scotland have been subject to a stricter drink-drive policy (0.05 g/dL blood alcohol concentration limit) than the rest of Great Britain where the limit has remained unchanged (0.08 g/dL). The fact that a change in drink driving policy has happened in Scotland but not in other parts of Great Britain provides a perfect opportunity to conduct a “natural experiment” to assess whether the change resulted in health gains for Scotland as a whole, and helped reduce differences in health outcomes between the least and most deprived groups in society. The aim of our project is to formally evaluate the change in drink driving legislation.
Who can participate?
The entire population of Scotland, England and Wales.
What does the study involve?
The research team review the number of road traffic accidents by reviewing police data of road accidents recorded in a database every week for the four year study period. Information about the amount of alcohol sold is also observed using market research every four weeks for the four year study period.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no direct benefits or risks involved with participating
Where is the study run from?
University of Glasgow (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
December 2014 to December 2017
Who is funding the study?
National Institute for Health Research (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Jim Lewsey
jim.lewsey@glasgow.ac.uk
Contact information
Scientific
University of Glasgow
1 Lilybank Gardens
Glasgow
G12 8RZ
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 141 3303260 |
|---|---|
| jim.lewsey@glasgow.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Observational natural experiment design |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Observational |
| Secondary study design | Natural experiment |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Other |
| Scientific title | Evaluation of legislation to reduce the drink drive limit in Scotland: a natural experiment |
| Study hypothesis | Research questions: 1. Has the change in drink driving legislation in Scotland been effective (reduction in RTAs)? 2. Has the change in drink driving legislation in Scotland led to changes in relative and absolute RTA rates that differ by levels of socio-economic deprivation? 3. Has the change in drink driving legislation in Scotland led to a reduction in population alcohol consumption? 4. Has the change in drink driving legislation in Scotland provided good value for money (been cost-effective)? |
| Ethics approval(s) | Submission to MVLS College Ethics Committee, University of Glasgow. The committee reviewed the application and agreed that there is no objection on ethical grounds to the proposed study (letter dated 22/06/16). |
| Condition | Road traffic accidents and per capita alcohol consumption. |
| Intervention | In Scotland, the drink drive policy was updated and came into effect on 5th December 2014, lowering to 50mg per 100ml of blood from 80mg. In the rest of Great Britain, the limit has remained at 0.08 g/dL. Road traffic accidents and alcohol consumption by reviewing databases (STATS19 and Nielsen market research). There observations will take place a weekly basis over the 4-year study period for road traffic accidents and 4-weekly over the 4-year study period for alcohol sales data. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Road traffic accident counts will be measured by STATS19 police data of road accidents in Great Britain on a weekly basis over the 4-year study period. |
| Secondary outcome measures | 1. Off-trade per capita alcohol sales will be measured by alcohol retail sales data from Nielsen market research company on a 4-weekly basis over the 4-year study period 2. On-trade per capita alcohol sales will be measured be alcohol retail sales data from Nielsen market research company on a 4-weekly basis over the 4-year study period |
| Overall study start date | 01/12/2014 |
| Overall study end date | 31/12/2017 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | All |
|---|---|
| Age group | All |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | The entire population of Scotland, England and Wales |
| Participant inclusion criteria | The entire population of Scotland (intervention) and England and Wales (control). |
| Participant exclusion criteria | No exclusion criteria |
| Recruitment start date | 05/12/2012 |
| Recruitment end date | 05/12/2016 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Scotland
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
1 Lilybank Gardens
Glasgow
G12 8RZ
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
University Avenue
Glasgow
G12 8QQ
Scotland
United Kingdom
| Website | http://www.gla.ac.uk/ |
|---|---|
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/00vtgdb53 |
Funders
Funder type
Government
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- National Institute for Health Research, NIHR Research, NIHRresearch, NIHR - National Institute for Health Research, NIHR (The National Institute for Health and Care Research), NIHR
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 01/04/2018 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Data sharing statement to be made available at a later date |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication of findings as academic papers in high-ranking, open access public health and health economic journals. After publication, a press release will be created that is accessible to all with assistance from the University of Glasgow external communications team. Results will also be presented at national and international public health conferences. |
| IPD sharing plan | The current data sharing plans for the current study are unknown and will be made available at a later date. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 26/01/2019 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | effect on road traffic accident numbers or alcohol consumption | 30/06/2019 | 11/07/2023 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
11/07/2023: Publication reference added.
17/12/2018: Publication reference added.
05/01/2018: Internal review.
