Creating Impaired Driver General Deterrence
Eight Case Studies of Sustained,
High-Visibility, Impaired-Driving Enforcement

NOTE ABOUT EVIDENCE OF PROGRAM EFFECTS

The number of crashes that occurred during or following a program period can be compared to crash incidence in the same area during previous years and/or in comparable populations. If a substantial improvement in a measure of traffic safety occurs following implementation of a local program and there is little or no change in that measure elsewhere (e.g., the State or Nation), it is reasonable to infer that the program contributed to the improved condition. Although crash data are presented in the eight case studies contained in this document, it is not possible to attribute with certainty the substantial improvements in the measures of traffic safety to the special enforcement programs. The programs were conducted in the real world, rather than a laboratory, and the dependent measures may have been influenced by variables that cannot be controlled under field conditions.

NOTE ABOUT KEY TERMS
The term “alcohol-related” is used by NHTSA and the various State agencies from which data were obtained to indicate that at least one of the drivers or a non-occupant, such as a pedestrian or bicyclist, involved in a traffic crash had, at that time, a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) greater than zero. Thus, “alcohol-related,” as it is used in this and other traffic safety documents, does not imply that a crash was caused by a “drunk driver,” but it does provide a useful metric for measuring the relative involvement of alcohol in crash incidence.

Driving While Impaired (DWI) and Driving Under the Influence (DUI) are the terms most commonly used to refer to driving at or above a statutory BAC limit. The appropriate term for the jurisdiction is used to describe the offense in each of the following case studies.

A FINAL NOTE
When miles traveled are considered, the likelihood of being killed in traffic in 1966 was nearly four times what it is today. Although conditions have improved significantly during the past 40 years, approximately 50 people die each day in the United States as a consequence of alcohol-related crashes. Many more are seriously injured and countless friends and family members are affected indirectly. Drinking and driving remains a serious national problem that is worthy of our attention and effort. The programs described in this document are examples of the many ways in which law enforcement personnel and concerned citizens have worked together to deter impaired driving and improve traffic safety. Additional sources of information relevant to the implementation of sustained, high-visibility, special enforcement programs are available at no cost from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and can be downloaded directly from the NHTSA Web site; examples are provided in
Appendix B.

REFERENCES CITED
Jacobs, J.J. Drunk driving: An American dilemma. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL, 1989.
King, J. and Tipperman, M. Offense of driving while intoxicated: The development of statutes and case law in New York. Hofstra Law Review, 3, 541-604, 1975.