The EU called on governments to address the problem. The Hungarian government promised a reduction of 30%. The initial success was spectacular: last year, traffic deaths fell by more than 20%.
This fall was clearly the result of two new policies against speeding and drunken driving.
A year ago, in addition to increased fines and more controls by police on the streets, Hungary introduced:
1. The policy of "objective responsibility". Speeders not fined on the spot often got away when they were billed as car owners by claiming that it wasn't them who drove, but some unidentified family member or friend. In the new system, the car owner was made responsible: if the driver can't be identified, s/he'll pay.
2. The policy of zero tolerance for drunken driving. In most of the East Bloc, the limit for blood alcohol content was zero. When limits were raised to West European levels (usually 0.08%; see Wikipedia, also see earlier Salon discussion), drunken driving accidents increased, and a backlash started. At the start of 2008, Hungary not only returned to 0%, but the new rule is that people lose their drivers' licence on the spot if both the breath test and subsequent blood test prove positive.
Indeed, while overall, the number of road traffic incidents decreased by 6.9% (from 20,635 to 19,217), that of accidents caused under the influence of alcohol fell 20%, and accidents caused due to speeding also fell strongly.
