The 1983 christmas crusade against drunken drivers, during whichthe police of england and wales administered an average of 1350 breath tests daily is discussed. The campaign, fueled by press reports, was perceived by many observers to be a national organized deterrent effort. To tet the hypotheses that the crusade reduced drunken driving, the index of total automobile crash-related fatalities was used in the analysis. Results showed that the index declined significantly during the month of the crusade, providing support for the hypothesis of deterrent effect. The experience of the christmas crusade reinforces the expectation that deterrent interventions involving highly publicized campaigns increasing the certainty of punishment forellegal behavior can be successful over a limited period of time.
Abstract