ALCOHOL AND SLEEP-RELATED ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Abstract

Objectives. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiology of road traffic accidents associated with alcohol-impaired driving and falling asleep at the wheel in the Republic of Moldova during 2020–2025, assess temporal trends and territorial disparities, and examine the evolution of road traffic mortality in relation to the World Health Organization target for 2030.

Methods. A retrospective, ecological, descriptive, comparative, and predictive epidemiological study was conducted using aggregated secondary data from the Automated Information System “Road Traffic Accident Register”. Annual numbers of accidents, deaths, and injuries, accidents recorded in the category associated with alcohol intoxication and falling asleep at the wheel, territorial distribution, and temporal trends were analyzed. Simple linear regression based on the 2020–2025 annual series was used to assess trends and generate projections to 2030.

Results. During the study period, 13,035 road traffic accidents, 1,310 deaths, and 14,922 injuries were recorded. Of all accidents, 877 (6.73%) were recorded in the category associated with alcohol intoxication and falling asleep at the wheel. The number of deaths decreased from 245 in 2020 to 187 in 2025, corresponding to a 23.7% reduction. The largest shares of the 877 cases were recorded in the Northern Development Region (36.4%) and Central Development Region (28.2%), while the highest proportions relative to all accidents within a region were observed in the South (13.2%), North (12.9%), and ATU Gagauzia (12.6%). The linear model for deaths estimated 121 deaths in 2030, with a 95% prediction interval of 40–203, indicating substantial uncertainty.

Conclusions. The data show a decline in road traffic mortality together with important annual and territorial variation in accidents recorded in the category associated with alcohol intoxication and falling asleep at the wheel. Projections based on only six annual observations should be interpreted cautiously and do not support firm conclusions about achievement of the WHO 2030 target. The findings support strengthening enforcement, testing and reporting practices, and public health interventions tailored to territorial patterns.