AN ASSESSMENT OF THE LIMITED DRIVING LICENSE AMENDMENT TO THE NORTH CAROLINA STATUTES RELATED TO DRUNK DRIVING

THE PRSENT STUDY SEEKS TO EVALUATE A RECENT CHANGE IN THE NORTH CAROLINA LAW RELATING TO PERSONS CONVICTED OF A FIRST OFFENSE OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INTOXICATING LIQUOR (DUI). THIS CHANGE PROVIDES THE COURT WITH THE OPTION OF GRANTING SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS A LIMITED DRIVING PRIVILEGE, WHENEVER A NEED TO DRIVE IS INDICATED, IN LIEU OF THE MANDATORY REVOCATION OF THEIR LICENSE. THIS ALTERNATIVE PENALTY WAS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN (1) A CHANGE IN THE PROPORTION OF DUI CONVICTIONS AND DUI CHARGES AMENDED TO RECKLESS DRIVING AND (2) A REDUCTION IN THE LIMITED PRIVILEGE RECIPENTS' ACCIDENT AND VIOLATION RATES. EXAMINATION OF THE COURTS' DISPOSITION OF DUI CASES FOR PERIODS BEFORE AND AFTER THE LAW BECAME EFFECTIVE REVEALED AN INCREASE OF 18.5 PERCENT IN DUI CONVICTIONS AND A DECREASE OF 33.8 PERCENT IN AMENDED CHARGES. THE DRIVING RECORD OF THE LIMITED DRIVING RECIPIENTS, FOR THE YEAR FOLLOWING THEIR CONVICTION, WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF DRIVERS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE RECIPIENTS' VIOLATION RATE PER 100 DRIVERS (4.6) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF DRIVERS SELECTED AT RANDOM (12.9). THEIR ACCIDENT RATE (7.8) WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE RANDOM SAMPLE (7.5). IN VIEW OF THESE FINDINGS IT WOULD APPEAR THAT (1) THE COURTS ARE FOLLOWING THE INTENT OF THE LAW TO A MEASURABLE DEGREE AND (2) THE LIMITED DRIVING RECIPIENTS ARE RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO THE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN THEM. /HSRI/

• Corporate Authors:

  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  Highway Safety Research Center
  Chapel Hill, NC  United States  27599
• Authors:
  • JOHNS, T R
  • PASCARELLA, E A
• Publication Date: 1971-4

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 21 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arrests; Driver licenses; Driver licensing; Driver records; Drivers; Drunk driving; Human characteristics; Laws; Probation; Traffic conviction; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Convictions; Driver characteristics
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224157
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 8 1973 12:00AM