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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: To assess how two types of drinking-driving laws-permitting sobriety checkpoints and prohibiting open containers of alcohol in motor vehicles-are associated with drinking-driving, and how enforcement efforts may affect these associations.
METHODS: We obtained 2010 data on state-level drinking-driving laws and individual-level self-reported drinking-driving from archival sources (Alcohol Policy Information System, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System). We measured enforcement of the laws via a 2009 survey of state patrol agencies. We computed multi-level regression models (separate models for each type of law) that first examined how having the state law predicted drinking-driving, controlling for various state- and individual-level covariates; we then added the corresponding enforcement measure as another potential predictor.
RESULTS: We found that states with a sobriety checkpoint law, compared with those without a law, had 18.2% lower drinking-driving; states that conducted sobriety checks at least monthly (vs. not conducting checks) had 40.6% lower drinking-driving (the state law variable was not significant when enforcement was added). We found no significant association between having an open container law and drinking-driving, but states that conducted open container enforcement, regardless of having a law, had 17.6% less drinking-driving.
CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that having a sobriety checkpoint law and conducting checkpoints as well as enforcement of open containers laws, may be effective strategies for addressing drinking-driving.
Language: en |