Placing the problem in the context of American society, the book argues that drunk driving is the intersection of two broader social concerns -- alcohol abuse and traffic safety. These in turn stem from a traditionally ambivalent attitude toward alcohol and from faith in the safety of the automobile. The discussion synthesizes past research on the sociodemographic characteristics of drunk drivers, the occurrence of drunk driving, and its contribution to traffic casualties. The book demonstrates that a proper evaluation of social control strategies requires an understanding of how the crime of drunk driving is legally defined and graded. An examination of constitutional issues in the handling of drunk driving cases highlights the legal ambivalence toward drunk driving, such as compulsory breath testing, roadblocks, and Miranda warnings. The book raises questions about the constitutionality of current distinctive enforcement efforts for drunk driving. The discussion concludes with an assessment of the effectiveness, cost, and legal repercussions of the many antidrunk-driving strategies now being used in the United States, including incapacitation through home detention, license suspension and vehicle impoundment, public education, and increases in drinking ages and alcohol excise taxes. Chapter notes, 323-item bibliography, subject index. (Publisher summary modified)