Informal peer intervention may be an effective means of combating drunk driving. Prior research finds that: (a) an experimental model of decision making in bystander intervention situations can successfully be applied to drunk driving intervention (DUI intervention); and (b) various personal and situational factors influence a person's decision to intervene. The authors' research examines questionnaire data and finds support, with some modification, for application of the experimental model to DUI intervention. The authors also find that a person's self-evaluation as a competent helper is often the most important factor in determining whether or not they intervene. This suggests that empowering persons as interveners may be an effective means of decreasing drunk driving.
Abstract