Between 2003 and 2005, the National Impaired Driving Crackdown Program demonstrated that a high-visibility impaired driving law enforcement program, supported by a paid and earned media campaign stressing law enforcement messages can reach the general public. In particular, efforts to reach young adult males who are at higher risk of being involved in alcohol-relatedcrashes were successful. Significant increases in exposure to impaired driving law enforcement were reported in some States. Overall, there were increases in the number of motorists who were aware of special efforts by police to reduce drunk driving nationally and in the Strategic Evaluation States (SES). While there were no significant changes in self-reported drinking and driving behaviors, declines in alcohol-related fatalities were seen over the three-year period. The number of alcohol impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes declined from 2001-2002 to 2004-2005 in 30 States (7 of the 13 SES and 23 of the 36 non-SES). Of the five years shown, the 2005totals were the lowest in 13 States (5 of the SES and 8 of the non-SES), as well as for non-SES combined. The results were similar for drivers 18 to 34 years old. The number of alcohol-impaired male drivers 18 to 34 involved in fatal crashes declined from 2001-2002 to 2004-2005 in 26 States (8 of the 13 SES and 18 of the 36 non-SES). Of the five years shown, the 2005totals were the lowest in 14 States (4 of the SES and 10 of the non- SES), as well as for the non-SES combined. A two-way analysis of variance using the factors of enforcement and state grouping (SES/non-SES) confirmed that alcohol-related fatalities declined from 2001-2002 to 2004-2005 and that this decrease did not differ across SES and non-SES.
Abstract