Traffic Safety Impact of Judicial and Administrative Driver License Suspension
One of the most widely used and extensively studied sanctions to control alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers is the suspension or revocation of their privilege to drive. License suspension was first used as a court sanction, either by judges directly suspending the licenses of driving under the influence (DUI) offenders at the time of conviction, or by ordering the department of motor vehicles to suspend licenses once they were notified of the conviction. In an effort to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of license suspension, states began enacting administrative license suspension programs where peace officers impose the suspension at the time of DUI arrest. These administrative actions do not supplant the post-conviction license control actions, but rather constitute a parallel administrative process to the judicial one, delivering the license suspension action more quickly and surely. Studies of judicially and administratively implemented license programs indicate that license suspension works to control the overall traffic safety risk of first and repeat DUI offenders, and when used administratively attenuates alcohol-involved incidents as well. It is used within the context of a system of other sanctions and treatments, and researchers and policymakers should consider broader system effects when implementing new laws or programs or changing existing ones. Its main limitation is that it is widely violated, because it is an invisible offense and is difficult to enforce; enforcement activities that increase the probability of apprehension and technology that can unmask the invisible nature of the offense will likely increase compliance. Using license suspension in an integrated system involves consideration of how it exerts its effects, its limitations, strengths, and overall system goals. It is relatively inexpensive to administer and is cost-effective, but it does not break the repetitive nature of problem drinking and so should be combined with measures that do.
- Record URL:
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00978515
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Authors:
- DeYoung, David J
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Conference:
- Countermeasures to Address Impaired Driving Offenders: Toward an Integrated Model
- Location: Irvine California
- Date: 2011-8-15 to 2011-8-16
- Publication Date: 2013-8
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Web
- Features: References;
- Pagination: pp 41-53
- Monograph Title: Countermeasures to Address Impaired Driving Offenders: Toward an Integrated Model. A Symposium, August 15-16, 2011, Beckman Conference Center, Irvine, California
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Serial:
- Transportation Research Circular
- Issue Number: E-C174
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0097-8515
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Driver licenses; Impaired drivers; Recidivism; Suspensions; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic safety
- Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01492431
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Sep 9 2013 11:17AM