Eleven persons who had been sentenced to rehabilitation for drunken driving participated in this interview study. Most of them had had a driving licence for quite a long time, several of them for more than twenty-five years. Five persons had applied for and had also had an alcolock device installed in their vehicles, whilst six persons had chosen to refrain for various reasons. In-depth interviews were carried out according to a fixed interview guide with opportunities for spontaneous comments. The interviews dealt with two different areas; the first concerned respondents’ attitudes towards alcohol and driving from a general point of view and the second concerned their views regarding alcolock devices. The results of the first part showed that the great majority of the respondents had previously driven under the influence of alcohol, although only two persons had previously been convicted of drunken driving. The reason why they had driven while intoxicated on the most recent occasion could be divided into three groups; an extraordinary situation, pure routine, and the morning-after when they thought that the alcohol had left the body. Regardless of the reason, it was often a question of not really reflecting over whether one was intoxicated or not. Some were, however, still anxious when they saw a police car, which can be an indication that they still had a feeling that they had drunk too much. An additional explanation of why they still took the car was that they did not believe that alcohol made them poorer drivers. It is true that some of them drove more carefully when they had drunk alcohol, but this seemed to be more in order not to draw attention to themselves. In addition, most of them pointed out that the reason why the police had stopped them was that the police were carrying out a routine control, and not because they had driven in an unsuitable way. Generally speaking, the risk of being discovered was considered to be very small. The event influenced them emotionally to different extents but for some the feelings of guilt and shame were very marked. These feelings were coupled with the humiliation which they felt in connection with being caught, but also in being judged by those nearest to them. Those who felt the least shame were those who could transfer the responsibility to the situation, i.e. those who felt that they did not have any control over what had happened or that they could not have acted in any other way. The subjective norm was also discussed and many thought that people close to them did not accept that they had been drinking and driving. Nevertheless, few of them felt that they had been condemned by others. Some had been met by the reaction that it could have happened to them. One conclusion from this, from the participants’ point of view, was that drink driving was relatively common. This was also reinforced by the media coverage. Some had evidently noted the media's reporting of drink driving and interpreted this as though the problem was relatively common. The interviews also showed that the public did not always react when they saw an intoxicated driver. Some members of the public had phoned to the police but absolutely not everybody. Since the interviewed persons were undergoing a treatment program (Rattfällan – The Steering Wheel Trap) the question of how this had helped them was also discussed. The respondents all agreed that the punishment in itself, i.e. losing the driver’s licence, would not have been sufficient, and that they also needed the support and help which the treatment could offer. Before the treatment, many had denied that they had any problem with alcohol. Some described it as an awakening which was painful since they felt that they had lost control over themselves. In the second part of this study, the respondents’ attitudes towards alcolocks were also discussed. Most of them had a relatively positive attitude towards alcolocks even though they had certain reservations. This depended on how long it should remain fitted and what it costed. Some considered that alcolock devices should be fitted into all cars since they would then feel less exposed. The device which the respondents in the study had used was a alcolock which had been manufactured in Canada in the 1980s, and it was therefore not surprising that it was considered to be very complicated, unreliable and conspicuous. Since the cost of installing an alcolock device was high, several persons considered that the device should be linked to a person and that it should be easy to dismantle and to use in several vehicles. Due to the high cost, several of the respondents had also refrained completely. With respect to the risks associated with alcolock devices, several respondents considered that blowing the alcolock during the journey was associated with a large traffic safety risk. Some respondents considered that it was relatively easy to manipulate the device by letting somebody else blow, but others could nevertheless not imagine that anybody would manipulate the alcolock at all. Several of the respondents took up the problem that there was no connection between the alcolock device program and the treatment program (Rattfällan – The Steering Wheel Trap). Some pointed out the importance of participating in the treatment program and were of the opinion that participating only in the alcolock program would not have the same positive effect. Several were convinced that they would not have arrived at the same insights without participation in the treatment program. Several respondents considered that the proposed alteration in the law so that "all those convicted of drunken driving should be forced to install alcolock devices in their vehicles" should not be approved. The reason for this opinion was that they considered that drunken drivers could be placed on a level with others who had been convicted of different crimes, and that a crime has been atoned for when the sentence has been served. (Author/publisher)
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