NCJ Number
113319
Journal
ABA Journal Dated: (September 1, 1988) Pages: 52-56
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines the effectiveness of tough drunken driving laws and policies.
Abstract
The 1980's saw a legislative and judicial crackdown on drunken driving. Citizen groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving lobbied for strict enforcement of drunk driving laws, arrests for drunk driving increased, and all 50 States raised the drinking age to 21. Many jurisdictions increased sentences and adopted mandatory license loss for offenders who repeatedly drove while under the influence of alcohol. U.S. Department of Transportation figures indicate that from 1982 to 1985 alcohol-related traffic deaths declined by 11 percent. Analysts are not sure, however, if tougher penalties had caused the drop in traffic-related deaths. Some analysts suggest that judges do not endorse mandatory sentences for drunken drivers, while others point out that increased publicity and public debate about the dangers of drunk driving have made many drivers more cautious and less likely to drink and drive. In time, however, national attention to the problem decreased. In 1986, the number of alcohol-related traffic deaths rose again by seven percent, leading some to conclude that many new young drivers are not being made aware of the dangers of drunk driving. Each year, as new drivers are licensed, they must be educated against the dangers of drunk driving. A tough policy to reinforce this education would include administrative license revocation, mandatory jail sentences or community service for first offenders, and drunk per se laws. Fewer experts argue for alcohol treatment programs. Instead, they propose enforcement of existing laws and strong peer pressure not to drink and drive.