Deterrence theory is predicated on the belief that a behavior can be prevented by the threat of punishment. States that maintain good driver records report that an increasing proportion of those arrested for DWI are repeat offenders. There is also increased recognition that drivers fatally injured in alcohol related crashes are more likely to have a history of previous DWI convictions. In recognition of these facts, many state legislatures continue to add on to the list of court applied sanctions by heaping increased penalties on DWI offenders. Although numerous evaluations have been made of the effect of various sanctions, it has been difficult to determine the deterrent value of individual sanctions because many of them were implemented as part of a comprehensive set of countermeasures and their individual contribution has been difficult, if not impossible to assess. This study seeks to evaluate the specific deterrent effectiveness of a set of sanctions applied to DWI offenders in North Carolina in order to identify which appeared to be most effective - either in combination with other sanctions or alone. (A)
Abstract