AN EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERLOCK IN PREVENTING RECIDIVISM IN A POPULATION OF MULTIPLE DWI OFFENDERS

Approximately 45,000 deaths and 5.5 million injuries each year are the result of motor vehicle crashes, making traffic crashes the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Crashes are the greatest single cause of death for every age group between five and 32. Because motor vehicle crash victims are disproportionately young, crash related injuries are the third leading cause of lost years of life. Alcohol, a major contributing factor in motor vehicle crashes, is estimated to be involved in approximately 46% of all fatal traffic crashes and in 18 to 25% of all injury producing crashes. The staggering human and economic costs of alcohol related motor vehicle crashes make alcohol impaired driving a serious public health problem in North Carolina. There is an indication that an increasing proportion of those arrested for DWI and of those involved in alcohol related crashes are repeat DWI offenders. The objective of this project was to evaluate the interlock in preventing subsequent DWI recidivism in a population of second time DWI offenders. Preliminary results suggest that the interlock may be an effective deterrent while placed on the steering wheel, but that it may not alter future drinking and driving behavior of the study participant, after termination of the study.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This study was funded by the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  Highway Safety Research Center
  Chapel Hill, NC  United States  27599
• Authors:
  • POPKIN, C L
  • Stewart, J R
  • Martell, C
  • Birckmayer, J D
• Publication Date: 1992-9-30

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 27 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drunk driving; Fatalities; Ignition seat belt interlocks; Impaired drivers; Injuries; Measures of effectiveness; Prevention; Public health; Recidivism; Repeat offenders; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00722119
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UNC/HSRC-92/9/3, Project # AL-92-02-02
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 7 1996 12:00AM