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General Deterrence of Drunk Driving: Evaluation of Recent American Policies

NCJ Number
134797
Journal
Risk Analysis Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (1991) Pages: 279-289
Author(s)
W N Evans; D Neville; J D Graham
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
State data from 1975 through 1986 were used to determine whether State laws increasing the certainty, severity, and swiftness of punishment for drunk driving have had an effect on the incidence of drinking and driving.
Abstract
Together, the 729 laws passed between 1981 and 1986 have increased the "punitive threat" and are intended to deter drunk driving. Most of these laws were passed in response to Federal legislation establishing financial incentives for States to bring their traffic safety programs into compliance with Federal recommendations. The analysis considered administrative per se laws, anti-plea bargaining statutes, mandatory penalties for first offenders, illegal per se statutes, preliminary breath tests, sobriety checkpoints, open container laws, mandatory seat belt laws, beer taxes, and other variables. Results provided no conclusive evidence that any specific form of punitive legislation is having a measurable effect on motor vehicle fatalities. However, the data suggest that multiple laws designed to increase the certainty of punishment (e.g., sobriety checkpoints and preliminary breath tests) have a synergistic deterrent effect. The most significant finding was that mandatory seat belt laws and beer taxes may be more effective at reducing fatalities from drunk driving than are policies aimed at general deterrence. Tables, footnotes, and 36 references