This paper presents some results of a study by the Vermont Alcohol Research Center of various differences between drunk drivers. It aims to compare adjudicated first and multiple DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) offenders, and compare convicted male and female DUI offenders. Comparisons are made across a broad range of psychosocial dimensions: (1) demographic characteristics; (2) alcohol consumption patterns; (3) measures of alcohol problem severity; (4) driving-related attitudes; and (5) general personality characteristics. 1495 volunteer subjects aged 17 to 74, consisting of 1231 males and 262 females, were recruited from education and treatment programmes for convicted DUI offenders in California. Each subject completed a comprehensive questionnaire with face-to-face and self-administered components. The analysis included 19 comparison variables, and contingency tables and t-tests were used to assess bivariate relationships. Various differences were found between male and female DUIs and between first and multiple DUIs, showing that the DUI population is rather heterogeneous. The results contribute to increased clarity in identifying clinically relevant differences between convicted DUI offenders.
Samenvatting