Driving After Drinking in Canada

Beirness, Douglas J.; Davis, Christopher G. · 2007 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/bf03405442

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Summary

This study addresses the persistence of alcohol-impaired driving in Canada despite substantial reductions in alcohol-related crash fatalities over the preceding 25 years. While the proportion of driver fatalities involving alcohol dropped from 60% in 1982 to 43% in 1990, alcohol remained a major factor in serious injuries and deaths, with 815 fatalities recorded in 2004. The research aims to provide a contemporary estimate of the prevalence of self-reported driving after drinking and to characterize the demographic and behavioral profiles of those who engage in this behavior, particularly distinguishing between occasional and frequent offenders. The authors utilized data from the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS), a national telephone survey of 13,909 residents aged 15 and older. The analysis focused on a subsample of 4,639 respondents who consumed alcohol in the past year, held a driver’s license, and reported driving in the past year. Participants were categorized as "Drinking Drivers" if they reported operating a vehicle within one hour of consuming two or more alcoholic drinks at least once in the past 12 months. The study compared these individuals to "Non-drinking Drivers" using demographic data, alcohol consumption metrics, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to screen for hazardous drinking patterns. The results indicate that 11.6% of licensed Canadian drivers reported driving after drinking. Although most instances were infrequent, a small minority accounted for the vast majority of occurrences; less than 5% of licensed drivers were responsible for 86% of the estimated 20 million drinking-driving trips in the prior year. Drinking Drivers differed significantly from Non-drinking Drivers in several respects: they were more likely to be male, younger (among females), employed full-time, and unmarried. Crucially, Drinking Drivers exhibited higher levels of alcohol consumption, with 40% scoring 8 or higher on the AUDIT, indicating hazardous or harmful drinking patterns, compared to 10.5% of Non-drinking Drivers. They were also nearly three times more likely to report illegal drug use. Frequent Drinking Drivers, defined as those driving after drinking 12 or more times in the past year, were predominantly male and consumed alcohol more heavily and frequently than infrequent offenders. The study concludes that driving after drinking remains a common behavior, driven disproportionately by a "hard core" group of heavy, frequent drinkers who also engage in other high-risk behaviors like illicit drug use. The authors argue that countermeasure efforts must continue at all levels, including prevention, enforcement, and rehabilitation. Specifically, they recommend expanding interventions to target this high-risk subgroup, suggesting measures such as mandatory alcohol ignition interlocks, swift administrative license suspensions, and brief interventions in healthcare settings to address the underlying alcohol abuse contributing to the behavior.

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Topics

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• polydrug
• dui enforcement
• alcohol

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence