Few issues stir emotions as strongly as drunk driving. To prevent alcohol-related accidents, a clear majority in three out of four Nordic countries believes that alcohol locks should be mandatory in cars.
Drunk driving cause significant devastation and many tragedies each year. In Sweden alone, 52 people died in alcohol- or drug-related accidents in 2023, accounting for 23 percent of all traffic fatalities in the country.*
Many employers in the transport sector have voluntarily introduced alcohol locks for their drivers in an effort to keep impaired drivers off the roads. While there are some requirements for alcohol locks for convicted drunk drivers, and regulations and programs that encourage or mandate them for certain drivers, no Nordic country has a general law requiring alcohol locks in all vehicles.
Where support is strongest
However, there is clear support for introducing such a requirement, according to the Mobility Barometer. Nearly 6 in 10 respondents across the Nordics, or 57 percent, believe that alcohol locks should be mandatory in all cars. Only 20 percent oppose the idea, and roughly the same number have no opinion.
But support is not evenly distributed.
The strongest support is in Sweden, where 65 percent back the idea, followed by Norway (59 percent) and Denmark (57 percent). In Finland, however, there is no majority in favor of alcohol locks; support and opposition are almost evenly split. About one of three people in Finland, 39 percent, supports a law requiring alcohol locks, while 37 percent oppose it.
Differences between men and women
When looking at different groups, more women than men support alcohol locks, with 60 percent of women in favor compared to 53 percent of men. However, opinions are fairly consistent across age groups. There are also marginal differences between those living in cities and those in rural areas — most agree that a mandatory alcohol lock a good idea.
* ”A generalized framework for analyzing car lifetime effects on stock, flow, and carbon footprint,” Yuya Nakamoto, Shigemi Kagawa, Journal of Industrial Ecology 2022;26:433–447, 2021.
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