Monday, December 29, 2008
News UGA study: Drunk driving less likely if people think they'll get caught
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 4:48 PM
Researchers at the University of Georgia and University of Missouri say people at risk of drinking and driving are less likely to get behind the wheel if they think they'll be caught in the act.
Essentially, all the laws in the world won't to deter people from cruising after boozing — it takes convincing them they'll be stopped in the never-awkward roadblock.
All U.S. states have laws designed to deter impaired driving, but there is little evidence on what works to deter drivers who have a high risk of drinking and driving. The researchers found that the existence of laws, such as the .08 blood alcohol content and open container restrictions, affect only those less likely to drink and drive, and the actual number of impaired driving arrests in a state has no significant effect on drivers’ likelihood of drinking and driving."Essentially, law enforcement needs to focus on perceptions; it is important that drivers perceive that they will be caught if they drive impaired," said Lilliard Richardson, professor in the MU Truman School of Public Affairs. "We found that high-risk drivers are less likely to drink and drive if they perceive they are likely to be stopped or arrested by police. However, the mere existence of laws designed to discourage people from drinking and driving does not impact high-risk drivers. The results provide support for the value of high-visibility enforcement campaigns. Public safety education and media efforts are important components of the overall strategy for reducing impaired driving."
Now a show of hands: Who got behind the wheel after pouring a punchbowl down their gullet at the cul-de-sac Christmas bash? Yeah, me neither!
(Photo courtesy of Help-for-DUI.com. Tip of the hat to Joeventures)
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