Deterrence of the Drinking Driver: An International Survey

Ross, H. Laurence (Hugh Laurence) · 1981 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1981 report by H. Laurence Ross, commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, investigates the effectiveness of legal deterrence in reducing drinking and driving. The study addresses the persistent problem of alcohol-related traffic crashes, noting that while alcohol is a major correlate of serious accidents, traditional "classical" laws prohibiting driving while intoxicated proved ineffective due to difficulties in securing convictions. Consequently, governments worldwide adopted "Scandinavian-type" laws, which define the offense based on exceeding a prescribed blood alcohol concentration rather than visible impairment. These laws are designed to maximize deterrence by creating the perception of certain, severe, and prompt penalties. The methodology consists of a comprehensive review of international literature and evaluations of drinking-and-driving laws and enforcement campaigns. The report analyzes experiences in Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia (Victoria), Canada, the Netherlands, France, and the United States. It utilizes quasi-experimental designs, particularly interrupted time-series analysis, to assess the impact of legal changes and enforcement "blitzes." The primary metrics for evaluating deterrent effects include statistics on total crashes, serious casualties, and fatalities, with specific attention to incidents occurring during main drinking hours. The report also examines the theoretical framework of general deterrence, which posits that the efficacy of legal threats depends on the perceived certainty, severity, and celerity of punishment. The findings indicate that the adoption and enforcement of Scandinavian-type laws consistently produce a short-term deterrent effect, evidenced by measurable declines in crashes and serious casualties. However, these effects are rarely permanent. The report concludes that the initial deterrent impact is driven by an increase in the perceived threat of punishment, largely due to publicity and the newsworthiness of the legal change or campaign. Over time, drivers learn through experience that the actual probability of apprehension remains low, leading to a gradual return of drinking-and-driving behavior to pre-existing trends. In cases where the increased threat was limited to temporary enforcement campaigns, effects typically vanished upon the campaign's termination. The significance of this research lies in its confirmation that general deterrence works in the context of drinking and driving, but only if the perceived threat is sustained. The study highlights a critical policy challenge: while Scandinavian-style laws are effective, maintaining the level of enforcement required for long-term deterrence may be politically unfeasible. The report suggests that future research must focus on determining the sustainable enforcement levels necessary to maintain deterrent effects and explores the limitations of relying solely on legal deterrence to control this behavior.

Key finding

Adoption and enforcement of Scandinavian-type drinking-and-driving laws consistently produce short-term deterrent effects on crashes and casualties, but these effects diminish over time as drivers learn the probability of apprehension remains low.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• dui enforcement
• drowsy as impairment
• regulatory evaluation
• alcohol
• driver education effectiveness

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation, policy recommendations
• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes