“Survey reveals divided opinions on drinking and driving in Norway”

Try a pro membership for just NOK 1 the first month and get access to the most important issues and a number of member benefits

(Elbil24): – The alcohol limit is 0.2 in Norway and for many it is a common opinion that a glass is fine. But what is a glass? Is it one beer? A glass of wine? And how big is a glass of wine?

The safest thing is to have zero tolerance before you drive a car, says motor department manager Roger Ytre-Hauge at Frende Forsikring in a press release.

Ytre-Hauge points out that there are divided opinions among Norwegians about how much alcohol we think is okay to drink before we get behind the wheel.

Norstat has asked a selection of Norwegians for Frende Forsikring. This is how the different age groups answer:

Different blood alcohol levels

According to figures from Oslo University Hospital, a woman of 58 kilograms can reach the blood alcohol limit of 0.2 with a 0.33 liter light beer.

A man of 70 kilograms can achieve the same blood alcohol content with 0.5 liters of light beer.

In other words, it takes very little before you are affected by the alcohol. Gender, age and weight have a lot to say about how much blood alcohol you get after one drink.

Therefore, the above table is not pleasant reading. It is the youngest people who to the greatest extent think it is okay to drive after drinking alcohol. A total of 15 percent say it is fine to have one or more glasses before driving.

– It is disturbing that so many people think they can drink before they get into the car, says general manager Stig Eid Sandstad in Ung i trafki.

Ung i trafiken is Norway’s only traffic safety organization for young people between the ages of 15 and 26.

– Although the figures show that the vast majority say they are completely sober when they drive, there are many on the roads every day. It only takes one affected person before the risk of a dangerous accident increases dramatically, says Ytre-Hauge in Frende.

– Can’t believe people dare

In the roadside survey carried out by the drug research section at Oslo University Hospital, 0.2 per cent of the drivers tested had a blood alcohol level of more than 0.2.

This means that more than 200,000 kilometers are driven in Norway every day where the driver is under the influence of alcohol. In addition, there are black figures for drivers who are under the influence of drugs.

– I can’t believe that people dare. Think of everyone you meet on a short car trip. Passengers, oncoming road users, cyclists, children, pedestrians. If you drive under the influence of drugs, you have little respect for other people’s lives, says Ytre-Hauge.

Suspect that Norwegians are lying: – Fear the figures are higher

The risk of being killed increases 900 times

Young people in traffic say that the risk of being killed increases 900 times with a blood alcohol level above 0.5 if you are between 18 and 24 years old.

– This shows how dramatic the connection between alcohol and driving is. In addition, the chance of serious accidents usually increases with alcohol intake. Any fatality is one too many. That’s why we always encourage you not to drink before you get behind the wheel, says Stig Eid Sandstad.

– Go for a walk with yourself

When asked if they would stop a drunk driver, fully 20 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 say in the or do not know in the Friends Survey. A total of 16 percent of the more than 1,000 respondents answered the same, regardless of age group.

– It takes courage to stand up and speak out. You have to be confident in yourself to do that, says Ytre-Hauge – before he concludes with the following call:

– Especially among younger people, it may be difficult to set foot in the group of friends. But not speaking out can cost lives. Take a walk with yourself before getting into a car with a drunk driver.