THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DRUNK ENFORCEMENT PATROLS IS GENERALLY ASSUMED. HOWEVER, FEW ADEQUATE EVALUATIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE TRAFFIC SAFETY LITERATURE. THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FUNDED A SPECIAL PROGRAM IN STOCKTON, A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF 120000 IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA, TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIAL DRUNK DRIVING PATROLS ON WEEKEND EVENINGS, APPLIED WITHIN A SETTING IN WHICH NO OTHER MAJOR ALCOHOL SAFETY PROGRAMS WERE PRESENT. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS EFFORT WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A "TRADITIONAL" APPROACH TO ENFORCING DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED (DWI) LAWS; ONE IN WHICH INNOVATIVE PROCEDURES SUCH AS SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS WERE NOT USED. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT NIGHTTIME COLLISIONS IN STOCKTON WERE REDUCED DURING THE THREE AND A HALF YEAR PERIOD OF THE SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.(Author/publisher).
Abstract