The Law and Criminology of Drunk Driving
Jacobs, James B.
Crime and Justice, Volume 10, 1988, pp. 171-229
The University of Chicago Press
Reliable information on patterns and frequency of drunk driving is difficult to obtain. The evidence suggests that driving under the influence is widespread-particularly among males. Today, a set of interrelated criminal laws, procedures, and administrative laws makes it easier to arrest, convict, and punish drunk drivers. Criminal investigation and law enforcement in drunk-driving cases have become simpler as impediments to apprehension, investigation, arrest, and conviction have been systematically removed. The effectiveness of the campaign against drunk driving has been difficult to assess because of the poor quality of data, the lack of carefully planned evaluations, and the difficulty in disentangling the effects of simultaneous intervention programs. Some drunk-driving campaigns seem to have short-term deterrent effects. Driver's license suspensions and revocations may play an incapacitative role. Alcohol treatment programs, however, do not appear to reduce recidivism among drunk drivers. Public education must be directed toward changing popular attitudes and behaviors associated with alcohol consumption.