Citation

Lutze J. Blutalkohol 1998; 35(5): 366-371.

Affiliation

Lutze, J., Abt. Rechtsmedizin Universitat Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Driving licence records of 395 drivers who were convicted of drink driving between 1991 and 1992 were checked at the two administrative offices of the district of the city of Ulm (Donau). About 3/4 of all drivers had had their driving licences regranted after five years. The percentage beeing much higher in rural areas than in urban zones. The remaining drivers had probably been judged unfavourably due to their problems with alcohol such as previous convictions for similar offences or high levels of BAC when driving. This would explain the fact that there was a distinct lack in applications for regranting driving licences or an unfavourable judgement at the time of aptitude tests. About 3/4 of all drivers underwent a medico-psychological aptitude test. About 30 % underwent a retraining course. While 30 % of all DUI offenders convicted before 1991/1992 had been previously convicted of similar offences, 16.2 % suffered a relapse during the following 5 years. This shows that drink drivers will, to a great extent, not be one time offenders but instead they will usually reoffend within a given period of time. They would therefore not be out of character actions under exceptional circumstances.