RACE AND SOCIAL STATUS DISCRIMINATION AND POLICE ACTION IN ALCOHOL-AFFECTED COLLISIONS

THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE IS RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES IS DISCUSSED. THE FREQUENCIES OF COLLISION INVOLVEMENT AND DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED (DWI) ARRESTS FOR WHITES AND NONWHITES ARE COMPARED RELATIVE TO THEIR PROPORTIONS IN THE POPULATION- AT-RISK. DATA FROM THE GRAND RAPIDS STUDY, (1962-63) ARE USED. ANALYSIS OF THAT DATA SHOWED THAT: (A) NONWHITE DRIVERS WERE INVOLVED IN PROPORTIONATELY MORE COLLISIONS THAN WHITES; (B) NONWHITES WERE OVER REPRESENTED AMONG DRIVERS WITH HIGH BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS (BAC): (C) DRIVERS OF LOWER SOCIAL CLASS WERE OVER REPRESENTED IN THE HIGH BAC AND COLLISION GROUPS REGARDLESS OF RACE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT NONWHITES ARE ARRESTED FOR DWI IN DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBERS, NOT BECAUSE OF OVERT DISCRIMINATION, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE OFTEN IN SITUATIONS WARRANTING ARREST. WHEN THOSE OCCUR, THEIR CHANCE OF BEING ARRESTED IS ABOUT EQUAL TO THAT OF A WHITE DRIVER IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT. /AUTHOR/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1800052
• Authors:
  • ZYLMAN, R
• Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 75-84
• Serial:
  • Journal of Safety Research
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0022-4375
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00224375

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Blood alcohol levels; Crashes; Discrimination; Drunk driving; Persons by race and ethnicity; Social class; Traffic law enforcement
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223836
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 7 1972 12:00AM