Project
Characteristics |
Enforcement
& Education
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Program
Areas |
Alcohol
& Other Drugs |
Type
of Jurisdiction |
Parish |
Targeted
Population |
16
parishes with highest alcohol-related fatalities |
Jurisdiction
Size |
1.4
million |
Funding |
Section
403: $1 million |
Contact |
Bob
Thompson
LA Hwy Safety Comm.
PO Box 66336
Baton Rouge, LA 70896
(225) 925-6994
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Digest
Listing
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LOUISIANA
Targets of Opportunity
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1999, 46 percent of traffic fatalities in
Louisiana were alcohol related. This was eight percentage points above the
nationwide Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) estimate of 38
percent. In June 1999, Louisiana applied for a National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) Targets of Opportunity Grant with the hope
of reducing alcohol-related fatalities.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The primary goal of this program was to decrease the
percentage of alcohol-related fatalities in Louisiana. The Louisiana
Highway Safety Commission (LHSC) wanted to:
-
Develop a statewide enforcement and media based
public information program that would have a substantial impact on
reducing alcohol-related fatalities; and
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Create a set of �best practices� that will
permit other jurisdictions to apply effective approaches for reducing
impaired driving crashes.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
-
In September 1999, Louisiana was selected to be
one of five states to receive the NHTSA Targets of Opportunity: State
Demonstration and Evaluation Program to Reduce Alcohol Related Crashes
project. This was a 30-month project with a total federal funding of $1 million per state.
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The LHSC was the implementing state agency chosen
to select the 16 parishes with the highest three-year average (1995 -
1997) of alcohol-related fatalities for specified DWI enforcement and
public information activities.
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LHSC contracted with a Project Director to
supervise and coordinate all aspects of this project. The Louisiana
State Police (LSP) was the primary enforcement agency to conduct
specified activities during the project. Over 110 law enforcement
agencies from the 16 targeted parishes also participated. The LSP and
two contracted media/public relations firms developed the media and
public information campaign. Louisiana State University was contracted
to conduct a data analysis and develop an evaluation plan.
-
Purchased various types of equipment and material
in support of the detection, apprehension and prosecution of impaired
drivers. This included in-car video cameras, videotapes, digital
cameras, film, portable breath testers (PBTs), display boards,
Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST) Pocket Manuals, SFST Course
Student Manuals, Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Training Equipment
Packages, multimedia projectors and screens, and computer scanners.
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Supported the public information and education
component including radio and television public service announcements
(PSAs), billboards, and pamphlets. Extensive media research and social
marketing was conducted to determine a strategy for maximizing
exposure of this program. The program was called �You Drink and
Drive. You Lose�. All statewide and regional media messages were
created around this theme.
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LSP conducted over 217 DWI saturation patrols and
sobriety checkpoints from July 2000 through September 2001 in the
targeted 16 parishes. Patrols were conducted on Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday nights. Also, over 110 law enforcement agencies
from the 16 targeted parishes conducted Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)
saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints during the major holiday
periods during the same time period. The dates and times of these DWI
enforcement efforts were publicized through local media.
-
Conducted the following law enforcement training:
- Certified 60 officers as SFST Instructors, and
provided SFST Refresher Courses for 36 SFST Instructors
- Certified 25 officers as DREs
- Conducted DWI Investigator Courses for 299
officers and 9 prosecutors
- Conducted a Sobriety Checkpoint Training Course
for 50 officers
RESULTS
When the 30-month Targets of Opportunity Project
ended, the crash data revealed a 17.4 percent alcohol-related fatality
reduction in the 16 targeted parishes. During the same time period, there
was an overall 3.2 percent decrease in alcohol-related fatalities in the
other 48 Louisiana parishes. The Final Analysis Report and a Best
Practices Report will be posted on the Traffic Issues - a Guide for
Enforcement Resources (TIGER) web site at http://www.dps.state.la.us/tiger.
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