ONE FOR THE ROAD

This article presents a survey of public attitudes to drink-driving in Northamptonshire, which produced several useful guidelines. Its fieldwork was done in January 1990, when the messages of the Christmas campaign against drink-driving should have been clearly remembered. Its aims were to find out: (1) people's attitudes to drink-driving and the strategies used to combat it; (2) whether people's attitudes had any effect on their own behaviour; (3) whether people tried to avoid drinking and driving, and if they did it, how; (4) differences between attitude of different age groups. 354 people in two towns were questioned, of whom about two thirds were drivers who also drank alcohol, not necessarily at the same time. Most of the respondents saw drink-driving as a serious problem, but their answers varied across the age groups. Although most young people considered it serious, as many as 29% of them saw it as minor or no problem. There was little difference in attitudes between drivers and non-drivers. About 35% of drivers did not drink before driving, but the others still thought that they could drive safely after drinking, though only a few drank beyond the legal limit. Fewer younger than older drivers were aware of police activity against drink-driving. The survey shed light on where people obtained information about drink and driving. It provided the police with a useful database for evaluating future strategies, and attracted local media interest.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03091414
• Corporate Authors:

  Police Review Publishing Company Limited

  South Quay Plaza 2, 183 Marsh Wall
  London,   England 
• Authors:
  • BAGGOTT, R
  • Clarke, M
• Publication Date: 1990-8-17

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 1628-29
• Serial:
  • POLICE REVIEW
  • Volume: 98
  • Issue Number: 5076
  • Publisher: POLICE REVIEW PUBLISHING CO LTD
  • ISSN: 0309-1414

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Attitudes; Awareness; Behavior; Data collection; Drunk driving; Publicity; Surveys
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 1661: Accident prevention; 1757: Age; 2267: Attitude (psychol); 9001: Behaviour; 2231: Drunkenness; 2284: Education; 1534: Enforcement (law); 1602: Fatality; 2163: Injury; 9147: Interview; 1787: Man; 1752: Motorcyclist; 8573: Publicity; 2205: Skill (road user); 5408: Speed; 6555: Statistics; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00617440
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 30 1991 12:00AM