Voluntary breath test surveys of motorists between 9 pm and 2 am on alternate weekend nights are being employed to measure changes in driver behavior related to alcohol safety programs in three US communities: Oceanside and Salinas, California, and Florence, South Carolina. These cities are implementing programs directed at strengthening their enforcement of drunk driving laws; at promoting responsible serving practices; at reducing service to youths under age 21; and at limiting the density of liquor outlets through local zoning regulations. Initial data collected through the first two years of the program suggest that some of the programs which were initiated after a baseline year of data collection, are having an effect on data collection, are having an effect on intermediate measures such as perceived risk of arrest. Origin and destination studies permit the determination of where drinking occurred and allow these data to be related to participation of the outlets in responsible beverage service programs. This survey also allows the tracking of changes in the knowledge of significant elements of drunk driving legislation such as the legal BAC limit. Changes in knowledge and perceived risk can be related to on-going surveys of newspaper coverage of drunk driving issues. (A)
Abstract