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Impact of Increased Drink-Driving Penalties on Recidivism Rates in NSW

NCJ Number
208250
Author(s)
Suzanne Briscoe
Date Published
May 2004
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This bulletin examines the implementation and deterrent effect of legislation that increased the penalties for drink-driving offenses in New South Wales (Australia) in 1998.
Abstract
For almost all drink-driving offenses, the legislation doubled the maximum penalties for both the first offense and any subsequent offense. These harsher penalties included doubling the maximum jail terms for mid-range (BAC 0.08g/100ml to less than 0.15g/100ml) and high range (BAC 0.15g/100ml and higher) drink-driving offenses, as well as doubling the maximum license suspension periods and the maximum fines for all offenses. Other amendments included mandatory 3-month minimum license suspensions for special-range and low-range offenses and the doubling of minimum license suspensions for mid-range and high-range drink-driving offenses. To assess the impact of these penalty increases on recidivism, this study compared the reoffending rates of two offender cohorts: individuals convicted of a Prescribed Concentration of Alcohol (PCA) offense from January 1, 1997, through December 31, 1997, and individuals convicted of a PCA offense from January 1, 1999, through December 31, 1999. Court appearances for new drink-driving offenses were used to index recidivism. The likelihood of recidivism within 3 years of conviction was compared across offender groups by using logistic regression techniques. The findings apparently suggest that the harsher penalties decreased rates of drink-driving reoffending; however, other explanations for the reduction must be discounted before the reduction can be attributed to the legislation. 10 tables, 2 figures, 21 notes, and 13 references