U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Drunk Driving (From Insights Into Violence in Contemporary Canadian Society, P 268-271, 1987, James M MacLatchie, ed. -- See NCJ-122437)

NCJ Number
122468
Author(s)
A Donelson
Date Published
1987
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Drunk driving cannot be adequately addressed through the criminal justice system alone; the problem requires broad-based social action and community participation in a variety of efforts.
Abstract
Since Ontario (Canada) mounted a province-wide program in November 1983 to counter drunk driving, the number of fatal accidents and the percentage of impaired drivers involved in such accidents has significantly decreased. The effort has involved new legislation and tougher penalties for drunk driving. The criminal justice action, however, is not adequate to address the behaviors, values, and disorders underlying drunk driving. The effort must be community-based and involve the cooperation of government agencies and private organizations committed to reducing drunk driving. Persons and organizations involved in alcohol and drug education, treatment, and rehabilitation, as well as criminal justice personnel and agencies must mount a coordinated and comprehensive program to counter drunk driving. Efforts should focus on the cultivation of self-regulation among citizens regarding the responsibility not to drive while impaired.