NCJ Number
61394
Date Published
Unknown
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF PUNISHMENT SEVERITY ON DRUNKEN DRIVING WAS TESTED BY COMPARING DUTCH MOTORISTS FROM TWO AREAS, ONE WITH A HIGH IMPRISONMENT RATE FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING, AND ONE WITH A LOW RATE.
Abstract
IN THE EASTERN AREA OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF UNCONDITIONAL IMPRISONMENTS FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING WAS 24, VERSUS 83 FOR THE WESTERN AREAS. THIS DIFFERENCE SUGGESTED THAT BOTH THE DISTRIBUTION OF DRUNKEN DRIVERS AND THE AVERAGE DEGREE OF RANDOMLY SELECTED MOTORISTS' BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION WOULD BE LOWER IN THE WESTERN AREA THAN IN THE EASTERN AREAS. AS A TEST OF THIS ASSUMPTION, A TOTAL OF 1,556 MOTORISTS IN THESE AREAS WERE STOPPED AT RANDOM, INTERVIEWED, AND GIVEN BREATH TESTS. BOTH SUPERFICIAL AND REFINED EXAMINATION OF THE RESULTING DATA SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT BLOOD ALCOHOL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MOTORIST'S IN THE TWO AREAS. MOREOVER, MOTORISTS WERE LARGELY UNAWARE OF THEIR DISTRICT'S PENAL POLICY. RESULTS THEREFORE INDICATED THAT PUNISHING DRUNKEN DRIVERS WITH IMPRISONMENT WILL NOT DETER DRUNKEN DRIVING AND THAT FINES SHOULD BE THE NORMAL PUNISHMENT. NEVERTHELESS, THESE FINDINGS SHOULD NOT BE GENERALIZED TO OTHER TYPES OF CRIMES OR ASSUMED TO HOLD FOR OTHER TYPES OF PENALTIES FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING, SUCH AS CONFISCATION OF THE OFFENDER'S CAR. TABLES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)