SCANDINAVIA'S DRINKING-AND-DRIVING LAWS - DO THEY WORK? (FROM DRINKING-AND-DRIVING IN SCANDINAVIA, 1978 - SEE NCJ-54996)

• NCJ Number: 54999
• Author(s): H L ROSS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: Universitetsforlaget
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: Norway

Annotation

THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF LAWS IN NORWAY AND SWEDEN ON DRINKING AND DRIVING IS ASSESSED, AND BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS AMONG DRIVERS AND THEIR RELATION TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ARE EXPLORED.

Abstract

TO EXAMINE THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF SCANDINAVIAN LAWS, RESEARCHERS REVIEWED LITERATURE AND CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS IN THE FIELDS OF TRAFFIC, MEDICINE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE. FOUR INDIRECT ARGUMENTS FOR THE DETERRENT EFFECTIVENESS OF LAWS IN NORWAY AND SWEDEN WERE FOUND: (1) THE SWEDISH PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION OF INQUIRY NOTED THAT THE RATE OF DRIVING-WHILE-INTOXICATED LAW VIOLATIONS IN SWEDEN HAD BEEN RELATIVELY CONSTANT OVER TIME, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE OFFENSE WAS BROADENED BY A LOWERING OF PERMITTED BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMITS IN 1957 AND AN APPARENT INCREASE IN POLICE EFFICIENCY CAUSED BY NATIONALIZATION OF THE POLICE FORCE IN 1965; (2) ALCOHOL IS LESS OFTEN FOUND IN THE BLOOD OF FATALLY-INJURED DRIVERS IN SCANDINAVIA THAN IN OTHER COUNTRIES; (3) SCANDINAVIANS PERCEIVE DRUNKEN DRIVING AS A SERIOUS OFFENSE ACCORDING TO PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS; AND (4) THE PREDOMINANCE OF UNUSUAL TYPES OF PEOPLE AMONG THOSE CONVICTED OF ALCOHOL-RELATED OFFENSES SUGGESTS THAT THE GENERAL POPULATION IS NOT OFFENDING. HOWEVER, THE VALIDITY OF THESE CONCLUSIONS IS DEBATABLE. FOR INSTANCE, DENMARK HAS MUCH LESS SEVERE DRIVING-WHILE-INTOXICATED LAWS THAN SWEDEN AND NORWAY, BUT NOT A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATE OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING DRINKING. FURTHERMORE, CULTURAL RESTRAINTS AND NONLEGAL FACTORS SUCH AS AVAILABILITY OF LIQUOR TO SCANDANANIANS HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE STUDIES. BECAUSE OF THE WEAKNESSES IN THE ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF LEGISLATION AND THE THE LACK OF HISTORICAL DATA TO CORROBORATE THE ARGUMENTS, THE PAPER INSTEAD SUGGESTS THREE CHANGES TO ENHANCE DETERRENCE: (1) RAISE PERMISSIBLE LEVELS OF BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATIONS IN DRIVERS; (2) ELIMINATE PRISON SENTENCES FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED OFFENSES; AND (3) REMOVE EXISTING RESTRICTIONS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT FOCUS ON BREATH TESTS OF DRIVERS. NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)