Assessment of Impoundment and Forfeiture Laws for Drivers Convicted of DUI. Phase 2 Report: Evaluation of Oregon and Washington Vehicle Plate Zebra Sticker Laws

Voas, Robert B.; Tippetts, A. Scott · 1994 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report evaluates the effectiveness of "Zebra Tag" laws in Oregon and Washington, designed to deter Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offenders from driving while their licenses are suspended. The research addresses the significant safety problem of illegal driving by suspended operators, an offense that is inherently invisible to law enforcement. The study was motivated by the need to assess whether labeling vehicles with striped tags over license plate stickers—a sanction that cancels registration and requires a valid license to remove—could reduce such illegal driving through specific and general deterrence. The methodology involved analyzing motor vehicle department records for drivers with DUI convictions in both states. The study covered periods from three years before to three years after implementation in Washington (1985–1991) and from three years before to one and a half years after implementation in Oregon (1987–1991). Researchers constructed monthly time series for four dependent measures: crashes, moving violations, DUI convictions, and Driving While Suspended (DWS) convictions. The analysis compared three groups: reinstated DUIs (control), suspended DUIs at risk of tagging, and suspended DUIs convicted of DWS. In Oregon, the latter group was further divided into those who received Zebra tags and those who did not, allowing for an assessment of specific deterrent effects. The results revealed a stark contrast between the two states. In Washington, where the law applied only to owner-operators and was enforced less frequently, time series data showed no evidence that the Zebra Tag Law reduced illegal driving or crashes among DUI offenders. Conversely, in Oregon, where the law was applied more broadly to both owners and non-owners, the program demonstrated significant effectiveness. There was an immediate rise in DWS convictions following implementation, primarily driven by officers tagging vehicles. Offenders with tagged vehicles exhibited significantly lower rates of subsequent DUIs, moving violations, and repeat DWS convictions compared to untagged DWS offenders. Additionally, suspended DUIs in Oregon showed reduced moving offenses and accidents post-implementation compared to reinstated drivers, indicating a general deterrent effect. The study concludes that Zebra Tag Laws can effectively reduce illegal driving by suspended DUI offenders, provided they are broadly applied and actively enforced. The authors recommend that states considering such laws ensure broad application, implement public education campaigns, minimize loopholes allowing title transfers to family members, and record tag applications on driving records to facilitate evaluation. The findings suggest that increasing the visibility of the offense and the perceived risk of apprehension are critical components for the success of such deterrent measures.

Key finding

Oregon's Zebra Tag law reduced illegal driving by suspended DUI offenders, with tagged vehicles showing significantly fewer moving violations, DUI convictions, and repeat DWS offenses compared to non-tagged offenders.

Methodology

dataset

Sample size: 202935

Provenance

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Topics

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• dui enforcement