Countermeasures That Work – Alcohol-Impaired Driving [Traffic Tech]

Jeleniewski, S; Berning, Amy · 2021 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This document summarizes the tenth edition of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) *Countermeasures That Work*, focusing specifically on evidence-based strategies to combat alcohol-impaired driving. Although fatalities involving alcohol-impaired drivers have declined over recent decades, the issue remains a critical traffic safety priority, with 10,142 deaths recorded in 2019. The report provides State Highway Safety Offices and professionals with a reference guide to select effective countermeasures, categorizing them by effectiveness, cost, usage frequency, and implementation time. The review identifies several legal and enforcement measures as highly effective. Administrative License Revocation or Suspension (ALR/ALS) is rated as consistently effective, providing immediate licensing actions for those who fail or refuse breath tests. High-BAC sanctions, which impose enhanced penalties for offenders with blood alcohol concentrations of .15 g/dL or higher, and open-container laws are deemed promising or likely effective. Enforcement strategies include publicized sobriety checkpoints and high-visibility saturation patrols, which are effective in certain situations by increasing the perceived risk of arrest. Integrated enforcement, targeting other violations like speeding to detect impairment, is also highlighted. In the realm of prosecution and adjudication, DWI courts are proven to reduce recidivism by coordinating prosecution, sentencing, and treatment for offenders, particularly those with prior offenses. Limits on diversion programs and plea agreements are effective in increasing conviction rates by removing loopholes. Court monitoring programs further support these efforts by observing hearings to ensure higher conviction rates and stiffer sentences. Prevention and treatment interventions are also critical. Alcohol problem assessment and treatment, combined with close monitoring, is consistently effective. Alcohol ignition interlocks, which prevent vehicle ignition if a driver’s BAC exceeds a threshold (typically .02 g/dL), significantly reduce recidivism while installed. For underage drivers, minimum drinking age laws (21) are consistently effective in reducing drinking and impaired driving. Zero-tolerance laws and alcohol vendor compliance checks are promising strategies to prevent underage access to alcohol. Additionally, alcohol screening and brief interventions in medical or social settings are consistently effective, while mass-media campaigns and alternative transportation options are promising measures to deter impaired driving. The significance of this report lies in its synthesis of empirical evidence to guide policy and resource allocation. By rating countermeasures on a five-star effectiveness scale and providing data on cost and implementation time, the NHTSA enables stakeholders to prioritize interventions that offer the greatest impact on reducing alcohol-impaired driving fatalities and injuries. The document underscores that a combination of swift legal penalties, rigorous enforcement, specialized judicial processes, and targeted treatment programs constitutes the most robust approach to this persistent public health challenge.

Key finding

The document provides a comprehensive overview of evidence-based countermeasures for alcohol-impaired driving, categorizing them by effectiveness and implementation characteristics to guide state highway safety offices.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Topics

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• dui enforcement
• alcohol detection systems
• drowsy as impairment
• alcohol

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation, policy recommendations