Impaired Driving

This booklet describes the alternative transportation programs used to reduce impaired driving. Alternative transportation programs aim to prevent drinking and driving by transporting those who choose to drink to and from home and drinking establishments. Alternative transportation programs have been in existence for several decades. Review of the literature suggests those services that are accessible, readily available, and easy to integrate into activity have the greatest likelihood of encouraging people to use them rather than drive after drinking.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=hs%20811%20188&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CE0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhtsa.gov%2FDOT%2FNHTSA%2FTraffic%2520Injury%2520Control%2FArticles%2FAssociated%2520Files%2F811188.pdf&ei=FmPrT-G7CI6m8QSJsIW6BQ&usg=AFQjCNEgKqbMEj62-0780SvfihBQ57DiYA&cad=rja

This report documents a qualitative investigation of existing DWI Tracking Systems (DWITS) nationwide, and provides recommendations for collecting and analyzing quantitative data on DWI statistics. An effective DWITS is a valuable tool for managing DWI offender data, allowing law enforcement officials to monitor records from arrest through sanction completion. This document comprises Volume 3: DWI Estimates for the United States; a quantitative presentation of DWI estimates based on state-level data from eight states with DWI tracking systems. Two color, 8.5" x 11', 15 pages.

http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/25000/25900/25938/DOT-HS-808-522.pdf

In November 2008 and again in March 2009, an expert panel was convened by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with the goal of determining whether a list could be developed to indicate which medications or classes of medications may pose a hazard to driving. There was particular interest in having the panel develop a list of safe”medications that do not impair driving. The value of the list would be to better inform patients and physicians regarding the likely effects of a drug on driving. This information could lead to better-informed prescribing practices and to more rational selection of medications by patients.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811438.pdf 

This manual provides guidance to law enforcement and community organizations in creating and implementing a citizen's DWI reporting program.  The guidance is based on the Operation Extra Eyes program developed and implemented in Montgomery County, MD.  The manual is a quick reference for recruiting and training volunteers, risk management, networking, community involvement, working with the media, and leadership.

Implication for highway safety:  This manual provides communities and local law enforcement agencies a strategy for increasing high visibility law enforcement activities.
 

Four common themes surfaced in the case studies: (1) Data were used and strong plans were developed to achieve high visibility, multi-agency enforcement operations (saturation patrols and/or sobriety checkpoints) year-round on a monthly basis with a focus on areas that represented 65 percent of the alcohol fatality problem in the State; (2) Charismatic leadership helped secure commitments from law enforcement agencies and provided clear guidance on the direction of the impaired driving enforcement program; (3) Law enforcement training, such as in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, was essential to help prepare law enforcement officers for the operations and to obtain their personal commitment; and (4)Targeted messaging were used through earned and paid media along with extensive outreach efforts to raise public awareness of these efforts at the State and local level and increase general deterrence  or stop impaired driving before it happens.

The findings hold promise for greater community involvement to support local impaired driving law enforcement efforts. Section 402 funds or other available impaired driving may be requested to support planning and training activities, equipment needs such as full-staff and low-staff checkpoint supplies, and media training for local/municipal police departments.  Local/municipal law enforcement agencies should conduct coordinated, long-range planning on a regional basis to ensure ongoing impaired driving law enforcement activities throughout the year across the State or regions within the State.
 

This report is a compendium of promising sentencing practices that were proposed at the DWI Sentencing Summit held at the National Judicial College in March 2004.  This document is designed for judges who want to be creative and look for new ways to reach the DWI offender, when traditional sentencing options have been exhausted.  It should be noted that some of the strategies are not research based, but have promise in the jurisdictions where they have been used.  8.5" x 11", two color, 72 pages.

This report reviews the current state of knowledge on Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI). It specifically addresses the rationale for addressing at-risk drinkers, defines SBI, provides examples of how it is implemented, and describes some of the outcomes and implications of using SBI, including its effects on traffic safety. The review was performed by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, with the assistance of Drs. John Higgins-Biddle and Joan Dilonardo.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811811.pdf

Breath alcohol concentration (BAC) test refusals by suspected impaired drivers are a challenge for impaired driving enforcement and prosecution. Periodically, NHTSA gathers data on State BAC refusal rates and develops an estimated national rate. This information can be useful to States and local jurisdictions. It enables them to track changes over time and compare their rates to other States and the Nation as a whole. NHTSA developed previous estimates for 1987, 2001 and 2005.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/Breath_Test_Refusal_Rates-811881.pdf

Research has shown that an effective way to reduce impaired driving is to increase the perceived risk of being stopped and arrested by law enforcement if driving while impaired. One of the most successful strategies for doing this is the coupling of intense and highly visible enforcement with publicity about the enforcement campaign. The term “high-visibility enforcement” (HVE) is used
to describe law enforcement efforts aimed at deterring unsafe driving behavior by increasing the public’s perception of being caught, arrested, and prosecuted.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811716.pdf

DUI cases have become some of the most complex in the criminal justice system. As a result, defense challenges are being raised more frequently and are more procedural and scientific in nature. These challenges range from the initial law enforcement stop of the vehicle to the testing procedures used to determine alcohol concentration in blood, breath, and urine samples to possible alternative explanations for those results. This monograph was developed to assist prosecutors and law enforcement in understanding the nature of these challenges. It will assist prosecutors in formulating effective responses to these newer challenges and defenses and include drugged driving, alternative ex-planations to breath test results, blood draws and testing, scientific uncertainty, and computer source code discovery requests.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811707.pdf

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recognizes that impaired driving is a complicated issue that cannot be addressed with one solution. “Alcohol-impaired-driving1 fatalities are affected by several external factors, including geography, urbanization, road structure and conditions, and economic activity, as well as by a State’s laws and programs” (NHTSA, 2011, p. 1-2). Strategies that address impaired driving focus on educating people on dangers of driving impaired, keeping people from becoming too impaired to drive, preventing them from driving after drinking, stopping them while driving impaired, and keeping DUI offenders from repeating the behavior.

While many impaired-driving programs are implemented at the State level, NHTSA recognizes that the lack of resources and political challenges may make implementation of needed and effective legislation and programs difficult. In addition, States may find that some programs are effective in some communities but not others. This publication is intended to be a resource to help communities identify appropriate, effective, and promising strategies and legislation that can be implemented on a local level. It is not intended as a how-to-guide, but rather describes and provides examples of each strategy. Leaders and program managers within communities may find this useful in helping to jump start or reenergize their efforts to reduce impaired driving.

This publication is divided into three primary sections: (1) understanding a community’s impaired-driving problem, (2) strategies that reduce impaired driving, and (3) references and appendix.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811678.pdf

The National Highway Traffic Safety Admin-istration is responsible for reducing vehicle-related fatalities and injuries on our Nation’s highways. This digest reports the status of State laws that are concerned with impaired driving offenses and alcoholic beverage control. It is extensively footnoted and contains comprehen-sive information on critical impaired driving laws for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811796.pdf

An experiment was conducted to assess proposed acceptance criteria of NHTSA’s Visual-Manual Driver Distraction Guidelines. Seventy two participants, ages 18-75 (3 age groups, balanced gender), performed secondary tasks (radio tuning, destination entry, 7-digit phone dialing, and 10-digit phone dialing) in two protocols: (1) driving a low-fidelity simulator; and (2) wearing occlusion goggles. Secondary tasks were performed using the integrated in-vehicle information and communication system of a 2010 Toyota Prius V. The Dynamic Following and Detection (DFD) driving simulator protocol combines car following with detection of visual targets presented in the roadway display during a single 3-minute drive. Performance metrics included: total eyes-off-road time (TEORT), mean glance duration, proportion of long glances, standard deviation of lane position (SDLP), car following delay, target detection accuracy (proportion correct), and target detection response time. The occlusion protocol required participants to perform 5 instances of each secondary task while wearing occlusion goggles that switched every 1.5 seconds between open and closed (occluded) states (as defined in ISO 16673). Total shutter open time (TSOT) was the performance metric.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2013/811726.pdf

This report documents an experiment conducted to determine the extent to which alcohol impairment at various Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels impacts the driving skills of individuals of different ages, gender and drinking practice characteristics. A driving simulator was used to measure the skills of 168 subjects representative of the general driving population. Tables and graphs illustrate raw data, performance index and impairment scores for all test subjects. Two color, 8.5" x 11", 67 pages.

This report was prepared in accordance with Section 2013 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The report summarizes a series of studies undertaken by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to acquire the information needed to address the general problem of drug-impaired driving.

The report describes the research conducted on prevention, detection, and prosecution of driving under the influence of drugs; issues associated with determining what drugs impair driving; difficulties in relating blood
levels of drugs and impairment; lack of information about what drugs are frequently used by drivers and what drugs elevate crash risk; problems in obtaining representative data about current enforcement, prosecution, and
adjudication of drug-impaired driving; training for law enforcement officers in recognizing drug-impaired drivers; review of drug-impaired driving laws; and what is known about the role of drugs as causal factors in traffic
crashes. It highlights the need for further research and concludes with recommendations to better address the problem of drug-impaired driving.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811268.pdf

In 1995, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) were repeat offenders. This study was conducted to update the 1995 estimate, and it determined that since 1995 the proportion of recidivism among drivers arrested for DWI has decreased from 31% to 25%, a decline of 19%. This report describes the methods used for data collection and analysis. The analysis explored emerging trends of recidivism based on data regarding arrests, convictions, and license suspensions. This study also examined the extent to which recidivism prevalence differs based on the look-back period used by the State (i.e., the period of time DWI offenses remain on driver records as prior offenses).

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811991-DWI_Recidivism_in_USA-tsf-rn.pdf

This research study examined Minnesota's enhanced sanctions for drivers convicted with blood alcohol concentrations of .20 or higher.  8.5" x 11", two color, 56 pages.

This study evaluated two types of electrochemical sensing technologies that quantitatively detect ethyl alcohol vapor through the skin (transdermal).  Transdermal alcohol concentration measuring devices use a new technology that has the potential for monitoring whether persons who are prohibited from drinking have consumed alcohol.  The study evaluated the accuracy and precision of two devices, based on transdermal alcohol sensor technology, the Giner, Inc., Wrist Transdermal Alcohol Sensor, and the Alcohol Monitoring Systems Secure Remote Alcohol Monitor.  The two devices, in different stages of development and were designed to be used with different populations, offer different strengths and weaknesses.

I  While the technology requires improvement, transdermal alcohol concentration measuring devices do have potential for monitoring whether persons who are prohibited from drinking have consumed alcohol.  Thus, these types of devices may provide another tool for courts, probation services, and treatment providers to aid in monitoring such persons to reduce alcohol-related traffic crashes.

Between 2000 and 2003, NHTSA funded seven alcohol demonstration programs designed to reduce impaired driving through well-publicized and highly visible enforcement. These demonstration programs were not specifically designed to be research evaluation studies; instead, they were designed to reduce drinking-and-driving behavior and ultimately alcohol related crashes. The states varied widely in their enforcement methods, media methods, and their paid and earned media budgets and messages.

Four of the programs were conducted statewide or nearly statewide. Paid advertising was used in Georgia, Indiana and Michigan.  In GA, TN, IN, and PA sobriety checkpoints were conducted throughout the data collection period. In LA checkpoints were permitted part way through data collection and in Texas and Michigan, checkpoints were not permitted.  The number and types of enforcement activities varied considerably from State to State.  Georgia reported using 2,837 checkpoints. Pennsylvania used checkpoints, mobile awareness patrols, and roving patrols yielding more than 1,100 roadside enforcement actions, while Tennessee used a combination of checkpoints (535), enforcement roadblocks (approximately 270), and saturation patrols (270).  Michigan used 1,122 saturation and routine patrols and in Indiana more than 3,800 patrol hours were reported.  The number of DUI or DWI arrests varied considerably, typically varying from a few hundred to a few thousand. 

This manual was developed through a cooperative agreement with the National Traffic Law Center.  It is a resource guide for judges and prosecutors, that provides a clear understanding of the scientific basis and legal foundation for horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN), as used with the NHTSA/IACP approved training for the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DRE) programs.  This guide is intended to promote increased training, use and acceptance of the HGN test as a valid and reliable tool in detecting, prosecuting and adjudicating impaired drivers. Three color, 8.5" x 11", 122 pages.

This product is for download only

Under a cooperative agreement with NHTSA, MADD held a series of ignition interlock institutes across the United States between August 2009 and October 2012. The institutes were designed to bring teams of people from different States
representing various organizations and agencies who are involved with some component of their States’ ignition interlock program system. The purpose of the institutes was to promote increased use of ignition interlocks in each participating
State and to identify improvements to strengthen its interlock programs. MADD’s report summarizes common barriers, State barriers, and potential solutions.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811815.pdf

This toolkit is designed to provide basic information regarding ignition interlocks and considerations for program administrators and policy makers in designing an efficient program.

The general topics in the toolkit include
• Description of an interlock device and how it works,
• Brief summary of interlock technology development,
• Ignition interlock research,
• Program implementation,
• Vendor selection and management, and
• Program costs.

In addition, the status of each State’s interlock program is provided, as are a series of frequently asked questions, sample talking points and administrative forms, and checklists to aid in program planning and implementation.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/IgnitionInterlocks_811883.pdf

Drivers with prior convictions for driving while impaired (DWI) carry a higher risk of future DWI arrests and crash involvement. In response, communities have developed various strategies to address the drinking-driving problems of DWI offenders by assisting them in making positive behavioral changes to reduce their likelihood of recidivism. One program model developed to monitor offender drinking involves having an offender report twice daily to a law enforcement office for alcohol breath testing at 12-hour intervals. To date, these 24/7 sobriety programs have been used in rural States and communities; however, the program model is being considered for implementation in additional locales. The purpose of this project was to conduct a feasibility study to gather data on whether the 24/7 program model can be applied in urban locales, and if so, what changes might be necessary. In Phase 1 of the study, structured discussions were held with State and local officials in Montana; North Dakota; South Dakota; and Fremont County, Wyoming, to develop a complete description of the history of 24/7 programs in rural areas. In Phase 2, information from Phase 1 was used to conduct discussions with local officials in two urban areas—Washington, DC, and Fairfax County, Virginia—to obtain their impressions about whether and how a 24/7 program could be operated in their jurisdictions. Urban officials reserved judgment about whether such a program would affect offender drinking, impaired driving, and crashes, though most believed it would help identify those who are alcohol-dependent and assist in connecting them with needed resources. Despite potential benefits, officials were generally cautious but somewhat open to the prospects regarding program feasibility. This tempered reaction was a function of concerns about practical issues of implementation and broader concerns about the value of and need for twice-daily testing programs in urban locations.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811861.pdf

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of special drinking driving sanctions aimed at youthful drivers under the age of 21.  This purpose was accomplished by focusing on a Maryland law which restricts driving by those under 21 to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) less than 0.02 %rather than the 0.10% prevailing limit for older drivers.  It was concluded that this special sanction for youth was effective and this effectiveness was significantly potentiated by a public service program which emphasizes the possible penalties for violation of the regulation.  Black and white, 8.5" x 11", 125 pages.

There is strong scientific evidence from several countries that show alcohol ignition interlocks, while in use, are effective tools to reduce drunk driving among both first and repeat offenders.1 2 For this reason, the development and implementation of a breath alcohol ignition interlock program is an essential component of a comprehensive highway safety impaired driving program in each State.

Each State has its own impaired driving laws which influence the delivery of impaired driving programs and policies. While almost all States have an ignition interlock program, they are each unique and at different stages of development. States vary in terms of the agencies involved in the delivery of interlock programs, their structures, authority, and operational practices.

Throughout this guideline, the term ignition interlock refers to breath alcohol ignition interlock devices. Ignition interlock manufacturer refers to the business entity that produces ignition interlock devices. An ignition interlock vendor refers to the business entity which distributes ignition interlocks in a State or jurisdiction. The ignition interlock service center refers to the physical structure where interlocks are installed, serviced, and removed. A technician refers to the individual who performs the installation, servicing, and removal of the ignition interlock. Driving while impaired (DWI) offenders refer to individuals who have been convicted of DWI and are required to have an ignition interlock installed in their vehicle.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811859.pdf

In late 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provided funds to the New Mexico Department of Transportation to demonstrate a process for implementing a comprehensive State impaired-driving system. NHTSA also contracted with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation to measure the effect of that system on various factors including driving-while-impaired (DWI) crash, injury, and fatality rates; DWI arrest rates; DWI conviction rates; blood alcohol concentration (BAC) patterns; and public awareness. New Mexico’s core activities include high-visibility impaired-driving law enforcement operations, increased paid and earned media concerning New Mexico’s law enforcement efforts, and prosecutorial and enforcement training in the six counties with the highest rates of alcohol-related fatalities. Other components of the comprehensive system include the creation of a DWI Leadership Team that provides support and direction to the system and the participation of a traffic safety resource prosecutor to assist on DWI prosecution and other traffic safety law training. The five counties initially participating in the project were Bernalillo, Doña Ana, McKinley, Rio Arriba, and San Juan. Santa Fe County joined that group in 2007. NHTSA’s objective was to transfer this model to other States experiencing a high number or rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities or both. Overall, New Mexico’s multi-faceted efforts appeared to have benefits for the State.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811986_NM_Comprehensive_Impaired_Driving_Program_A_Case_Study.pdf

In late 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provided funds through a Cooperative Agreement to the New Mexico Department of Transportation to demonstrate a process for implementing a comprehensive State impaired-driving system. NHTSA also contracted with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation to measure the effect of that system on various factors including driving-while-impaired (DWI) crash, injury, and fatality rates; DWI arrest rates; DWI conviction rates; blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rates; and public awareness. New Mexico’s core activities included high-visibility impaired-driving law enforcement operations, increased paid and earned media concerning New Mexico’s law enforcement efforts, and prosecutorial and enforcement training in the five counties with the highest rates of alcohol-involved fatalities. Other components of the comprehensive system include the creation of a Statewide DWI leadership team that provided support and direction to the system and the participation of a Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor to assist on DWI and other traffic safety laws. The five counties initially participating in the project were Bernalillo, Doña Ana, McKinley, Rio Arriba, and San Juan. Santa Fe County joined that group in 2007. Alcohol-involved (those with BACs of .01 g/dL) fatal crashes decreased by 36.5% in the participating counties during the project period of 2005 to 2009. The rest of the State experienced a 31.6% reduction. Alcohol-impaired (those with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher) fatal crashes decreased by 35.8% in the participating counties during the same period. The rest of the State experienced a 29% reduction. The decrease in the participating counties was not statistically significantly different from the decrease in the rest of the State. This was likely because there were significant Statewide anti-DWI activities during that period as well. However, overall, New Mexico’s multi-faceted efforts appeared to have benefits for the State.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811985_NM_Comprehensive_Impaired_Driving_Program_Crash_Data_Analysis.pdf

It's a fact:  Alcohol affects your riding skills - so ride straight.  Riding a motorcycle takes coordination, balance and most important, good judgment.  Alcohol, more than any other single factor, can rob you of your ability to think clearly and ride safely.  3.5"" x 8.5", full color, six panels.

Ride Straight - Its A Fact: Alcohol Affects Your Riding Skills

Riders Helping Riders is an instructional program designed to encourage motorcyclists to intervene to prevent orther motorcyclists from orperting a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Only a small fraction of the impaired drivers who are at risk for alcohol-impaired-driving crashes are arrested. These include drivers who drink regularly or occasionally to intoxication before they drive. Researchers have estimated the probability of being arrested while driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a blood alcohol concentration at or above .10 g/dL to be about 1 in 200. A similar study reported that only 23% of alcohol-positive drivers admitted to trauma units and
emergency departments following crashes are convicted of DWI.

This report provides an overview of the use of Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) as a countermeasure for those who have displayed, or could potentially display, harmful/hazardous drinking behaviors, including drinking and driving. This report endeavors to acquaint the highway safety community with an  overview of the development of SBI, the context in which SBI is employed, the efficacy and limitations of this approach, and the policy implications for traffic safety.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811836.pdf

This report documents current State blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing and reporting practices and results for drivers involved in fatal crashes. It summarizes known BAC results by State for the years 1997 to 2009 for both fatally injured and surviving drivers. It provides an overview of State practices using information obtained from telephone discussions with all States and all NHTSA Regions. It documents case studies of 9 States (Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota), each of which has improved or maintained high rates of BAC testing and reporting. Successful BAC testing and reporting involves three components: high testing rates, accurate and complete reporting, and careful management. This can be accomplished through laws, policies, or practices. The process involves testing, reporting, tracking, and follow-up. The context involves education, training, and management. A summary presents good practices and strategies for States that wish to improve their BAC testing and reporting.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811661.pdf

This brochure provides law enforcement officers with information on detecting impaired motorists, articulating observed behaviors on arrest reports and ways to support officers' expert testimony.  A compact DWI Detection Guide is provided, along with a summary of the research that led to the guide, explanations of the 24 driving cues and a description of post-stop cues that are predictive of DWI.  Two color, 4" x 9", 15 pages.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/808677.pdf

Traffic Tech

The objectives of this project were to determine how extensively transdermal alcohol-monitoring devices are used and to document examples of strong and innovative programs through case studies that can be used by agencies at the State and local levels considering the use of these devices to monitor offenders.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811603.pdf