Overview of MADD: Reasons for Success

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LIFESAVERS 2006
State Conference on Highway Safety Priorities
Louisville, Kentucky April 24 -26, 2006
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Strategies for Addressing the Higher Risk Driver
Repeat, High BAC, and DWS Offenders

• 2006 LIFESAVERS CONFERENCE
• Louisville, Kentucky
• April 24, 2006

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The Impaired Driving ProblemUnited States

• 16,694 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 2004
• An estimated 500,000 people injured in
  alcohol-related traffic crashes each year
• 51 billion in annual costs to society
• 1,400,000 drivers arrested for driving while
  intoxicated or driving under the influence

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DUI Enforcement in the U.S.

• 1,400,000 drivers arrested for DWI/DUI each year
• 1 DUI arrest for every 135 licensed drivers
• 1 DUI arrest for every 772 reported episodes of
  driving after drinking
• 1 DUI arrest for every 88 episodes of driving
  over the BAC limit
• 1 DUI arrest for every 6 stops by police for
  suspicion of DWI
• 120 DUI arrests for every drunk driver involved
  in a fatal crash
• Sources FBI Uniform Crime Report Zador et
  al. (2000) NHTSA, FARS

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Estimated of DUIs Caught(One Year Period)
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Impaired Driving Countermeasures

• General Deterrence we must deter people from
  driving impaired in the first place e.g. tough
  laws, publicized and visible enforcement,
  alternative transportation
• Specific Deterrence once caught, we must have
  effective sanctions for offenders e.g. vehicle
  sanctions, interlocks, treatment

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Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities-35
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Proportion of all Fatally Injured Drivers
Estimated to Have Been Legally Intoxicated
(BACgt.08)-37
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Proportion of Fatally Injured Driverswith Very
High BAC gt.20-41
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What Approaches Are Being Taken?

• Do more of what is effective (science-based,
  data-driven strategies)
• Fix the system (too complicated, too cumbersome,
  many loopholes)
• Focus on target populations (repeat offenders,
  hard core drinking drivers, 21-34 year old males,
  etc.)
• Limit alcohol availability (prohibit over-service
  practices, enforce underage laws, increase taxes,
  better control of advertising, etc.)
• Find other innovative solutions (better
  alternative transportation, use of technology,
  DUI Task Forces)

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Definition Higher Risk Driver

• Offenders convicted of a second or subsequent DUI
  offense within five years a traditional
  repeat offender
• Offenders convicted of a DUI with a BAC of .15 or
  higher
• Offenders convicted of a driving-while-suspended
  offense, when the suspension was a result of a
  prior DUI

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Other High Risk Drinking Drivers

• Problem Drinkers or Hardcore Drinking Drivers
• Binge Drinkers (5 drinks per session)
• Persistent Drinking Drivers
• Repeat Offenders not identified as such (e.g.
  diversion programs)

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Repeat DUI Offenders
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The Repeat Intoxicated Driver Problem

• Repeat offenders
• Account for about 1/3 of all drivers arrested
  each year for driving under the influence (DUI)
• Are over represented as drinking drivers in fatal
  crashes and account for 10-20 of all drinking
  drivers in fatal crashes
• Are defined as drivers convicted of DUI more than
  once in a 5 year period

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Repeat Intoxicated Drivers

• Continue to drink and drive at illegal blood
  alcohol concentrations (BACs) over and over again
• Are obviously not affected by sanctions for their
  first DUI conviction
• Often have a history of other behavior problems
• Often have an alcohol and/or other substance
  abuse problem or have a heavy episodic (binge)
  drinking problem
• Rarely feel too impaired to drive and to most,
  DUI is not a serious issue

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Repeat Intoxicated DriversWhat do they say?

• Many fear arrest and stop drinking following
  arrest - however, their DUI behavior returns
• Offenders reduce their DUI behavior when police
  presence is more certain (e.g., checkpoints)
• They fear license revocation, but many drive on
  revoked licenses
• Contact with a concerned individual (judge,
  probation officer) often makes a difference

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High BAC (.15) Offenders
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The High BAC (.15) Driver Problem

• High BAC (.15) Offenders
• Account for half or more of all drivers arrested
  each year for driving under the influence (DUI).
• Are overrepresented as drinking drivers in fatal
  crashes and account for over half of all drinking
  drivers in fatal crashes.

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High BAC (.15) Drivers

• Impairment decrements are on the order of 50 -
  60 for drivers with BACs .08-.09.
• Can you imagine the decrements for drivers at
  BACs of .15?
• Most laboratory studies are unable to dose
  subjects to these high levels.

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High BAC (.15) Drivers

• Many continue to drink and drive at very high
  blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) over and over
  again.
• Many have an alcohol and/or other substance abuse
  problem or have a heavy episodic (binge) drinking
  problem.
• Most rarely feel too impaired to drive and to
  most, DUI is not a serious issue.

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Distributions of BAC for Drivers Involved in
Fatal Crashes (excluding BAC0), 2000
Source FARS
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Drinks and BAC in Two Hours
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Relative Risk of Being Killed as a Driver in a
Single Vehicle Crash by BAC Level Zador, et al,
2000)
.15
382-15,560 Times
.14
.10
29-241 Times
.09
.08
11-52 Times
.07
.05
6-17 Times
.04
.02
3-5 Times
BAC
Relative to drivers at .00 BAC
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Driving While Suspended (DWS) Offenders
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High Risk DriversDriving While Suspended DWS

• 50-75 of DUI convicted drivers continue to drive
  with suspended licenses
• Well over 20 of drinking drivers in fatal
  crashes are unlicensed
• One third of suspended 2nd time DUI offenders and
  two-thirds of suspended 3rd time DUI offenders
  either get involved in a crash or receive a
  moving violation during their suspension
• Unlicensed drivers are 3.7 times more likely to
  be involved in a fatal crash than valid licensed
  drivers

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Effective Sanctions for DUI

• Licensing sanctions
• Vehicle actions
• Assessment and treatment/rehabilitation
• Sentencing options and alternatives to jail

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Generalizations

• Consistency in sentencing balanced with needs of
  individual
• For repeat offenders, sentencing shifts to
  separation from the vehicle
• Assessment and evaluation of alcohol problem
  should precede sentencing
• Vehicle actions reduce recidivism
• Intensive probation, frequent contact with judge,
  close monitoring of compliance (e.g. DUI Courts)
  appears to be effective for multiple offenders

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Reducing Recidivism

• Assess alcohol problem
• Select appropriate sanctions
• Provide treatment
• Monitor compliance
• Correct noncompliance
• Impose vehicle actions (where appropriate)

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Interlocks Are Effective
Interlock Data 31 Re-arrests/2185
Interlocked/0.45yrs3.15/yr
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Strategies That Impact the Higher Risk Driver

• Detecting the Higher Risk Driver
• Sobriety Checkpoints
• Standardized Field Sobriety Test training
• Disabling the Higher Risk Driver
• Sanctions to prevent offenders from driving
• License plate confiscation
• Vehicle immobilization
• Vehicle impoundment
• Restricting the Higher Risk Driver
• Alcohol ignition interlock devices
• Treating the Higher Risk Driver
• Education and treatment

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Contact Information

• James Pendergraff
• Law Enforcement Liaison
• Governors Highway Safety Program
• 2230 Deep Creek Drive
• Madisonville, Ky. 42431
• 270-871-2040
• E-mail jim.pendergraff_at_hotmail.com