Objective

To raise awareness of national laws and EU regulations regarding drink-driving, with a focus on the #AnastasiaLaw 

To raise awareness of the risks associated with drink-driving

To highlight the importance of responsibility, both as a driver and as a passenger

To promote moderate drinking

Description

In Romania, drink-driving remains a critical public safety concern, with alcohol-related road deaths ranking among the highest in Europe. Despite some progress over the past decade, Romania lags behind other European nations in reducing road fatalities. For example, European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) figures show that between 2011 and 2021 road fatalities in Romania decreased by only 12%—the slowest improvement in Europe during that period. In 2022, the European Commission reported 86 deaths per million inhabitants in Romania, the highest in the EU. Moreover, 3,305 pedestrians and drivers were involved in road traffic accidents causing bodily harm while under the influence of alcohol. Of these 35.8% were car drivers, while the remaining cases involved pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and other vehicle drivers. In 2023, the Romanian Police General Inspectorate (IGPR) reported 4,525 serious road accidents. Additionally, 16,780 driving licenses were revoked due to drink-driving, and 8,368 alcohol-related driving offenses were recorded (15% of the total). 

To address these alarming statistics, a new law came into effect on July 7, 2023, amending the Romanian Civil Code. Named #AnastasiaLaw in memory of a four-year-old girl tragically killed by an unlicensed driver, the law mandates prison sentences for “road homicide”—deaths caused by drunk driving, driving under the influence of psychoactive substances, or driving without a license. The initiator of the law called for the involvement of all relevant private and public stakeholders, including Spirits Romania, in a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the new legal provisions. Also, further legislative changes are under discussion. A draft law proposed in 2023 suggests that drivers responsible for fatal accidents while under the influence of alcohol or drugs should receive a lifetime driving ban. While still under parliamentary debate, the proposal reflects growing support for stricter penalties to deter offenders. 

The above data underscores the need to address drink-driving, not only with strict enforcement, but also a large-scale public awareness campaign emphasising the dangers of drink-driving. As a result, Spirits Romania launched the campaign which drew significant inspiration from and was closely aligned with #AnastasiaLaw. It focussed on two key principles: responsibility and moderation to educate the Romanian public about the effects of alcohol abuse and encourage responsibility among drivers, passengers, pedestrians and all other road users. Additionally, the campaign aims to highlight the legal ramifications of drink-driving in accordance with the latest national and European legislation. 

The campaign consists of the following main actions:

• Communication campaign: A page on the responsible drinking website (consuma-responsabil.ro) was created to explain the #AnastasiaLaw. A dedicated Facebook page (the most popular Social Media channel in Romania) was created to provide information and generate discussions about drink-driving, drinking responsibly and solutions to avoid harmful road behaviour. Traditional media (press releases, advertorials, interviews) was used to complement the digital channels.
• Online survey: An online survey to identify the adult population’s awareness of moderate alcohol consumption, knowledge of new laws regarding alcohol, and general consumption habits was carried out and published in July 2024. The survey highlighted the lack of information on drink driving of the Romanian population (see the evaluation section below for the main results).
• Press conference: A press conference organised by Senator Cazanciuc was held on the first anniversary of the #AnastasiaLaw. Spirits Romania attended and shared the results of the online survey. 
• Distribution of information materials to HoReCa partners: Spirits Romania partnered with the National Union of Road Transporters in Romania to distribute a video advocating responsible drinking. The video was shown over the course of a month in HORECA (hotels, restaurants, and cafes) locations across Bucharest.
• ROADPOL Safety Days: ROADPOL Safety Days take place every year at the same time as the European Commission’s European Mobility Week from 16 to 22 September. Spirits Romania participated in activities organised by the Romanian Police and the Bucharest Road Police Brigade where they distributed information materials and promoted responsible drinking. In addition, the Bucharest Brigade held information sessions in public spaces in Bucharest and distributed Spirits Romania’s promotional materials.
• December activiation: The Road Police distribute an informative printed brochure in December.

Partners

Senator Robert Cazanciuc, initiator of the #AnastasiaLaw

The Romanian Senate

The Romanian Police (a long-term partnership was established by signing a formal protocol)

The Bucharest Road Police Brigade

The HORA organisation (representative of the Romanian hospitality industry)

National Union of Road Transporters

Results

The press conference was attended by 15 journalists. The Senator acknowledged Spirits Romania’s effort to raise awareness of drink-driving.

93 media outlets published the press release about the results of the study which generated 169 articles (5 TVs, 8 radios, 6 in printed press, 50+ online portals) reaching 4.5 million people nationwide.

2,500 people were directly engaged in partnership with the Romanian Police during the Roadpol/Mobility week in September.

The consuma-responsabil.ro website had 91,000 new users between 1 April and 13 December (an increase from 82,000 users for the same period the previous year). The most viewed pages were: "What is responsible drinking?" (78,000 users), "Alcohol and minors" (27,000 users), and "Guide for responsible drinking" (3,000 users).

The Facebook page rose to 1.6 followers during the campaign. 23 posts had 351,900 views and reached 440,000 people. The content had 6,700 interactions and 3,600 link clicks. 

2,500 information brochures were distributed to drivers in December.

Measurement & evaluation

According to official data from the Romanian Police, joint efforts by the authorities and industry to combat drink-driving led to a 32% decrease in accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol between July 2024 and January 2025, compared to the same period the previous year. This shows the aggregated efforts of the authorities and industry to promote responsible drinking and combat drunk driving has an effect. 

 

The main results of the online survey commissioned by Spirits Romania and published in July 2024 (The online survey was staken by 1,100 adult alcohol consumers):

• 17.62% of Romanian drivers admit to having driven after consuming alcohol, while only 16% of Romanians believe that drunk drivers pose the greatest risk to road safety. Also, more than 60% of respondents stated that they know people who have driven after drinking.
• When asked why they chose to drive under the influence, 60% justified their actions by saying they were “not drunk, just had a little alcohol.” Additionally, 33.77% explained that they only had a short and familiar route to take. Meanwhile, 5% cited peer pressure as the reason.
• As passengers, when encountering a driver under the influence of alcohol, over 81% said they chose to get out of the car, approximately 10% ignored the situation, and 8% reported it to the police.
• Among those who acknowledged having at least one acquaintance who drove under the influence(60.76%), 56% said they warned that person about the potential consequences, while 30% intervened to prevent them from driving. However, 13% chose not to intervene at all.
• Regarding the effectiveness of current legislation, 42.33% believe that the laws are strict enough but not properly enforced, while 41.96% consider them too lenient to prevent road accidents.
• When asked about the biggest threat to road safety in Romania, 23.89% pointed to the lack of tougher legislation. The most cited issue (33.51%) was drivers’ lack of respect for traffic rules, followed by drunk driving (15.89%). Additionally, respondents identified the overly permissive attitude of the police (13.81%) and inadequate road infrastructure (12.9%).
• 63.58% had heard of the Anastasia Law, and 63.4% believed it would positively impact road safety only if rigorously enforced. Furthermore, 38.7% considered harsher penalties the most effective way to improve road safety, while over 25% emphasised the need for stricter enforcement of existing laws.

Website

https://www.consuma-responsabil.ro/

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