THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED CHARGES, POLICE DRINKING-DRIVING ROADCHECK ACTIVITY, MEDIA COVERAGE AND ALCOHOL-RELATED CASUALTY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.

A CORRELATIONAL EXAMINATION OF 54 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS OF DATA FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA ON THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES CHECKED IN POLICE DRINKING-DRIVING ROADCHECKS, THE NUMBER OF DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED (DWI) CHARGES LAID, THE NUMBER AND PERCENT OF ALCOHOL-RELATED CASUALTY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, AND THE EXTENT OF MEDIA COVERAGE ON DRINKING-DRIVING (AS MEASURED BY PRINT MEDIA COVERAGE), REVEALED THAT: THE EXTENT OF MEDIA COVERAGE, AND NOT THE EXTENT OF ROADCHECKS OR CHARGING ACTIVITY IS PROBABLY THE CRITICAL ELEMENT IN THE REDUCTION OF DRINKING-DRIVING ACCIDENTS. THE FAILURE OF THE MINIMALLY PUBLICIZED APRIL-MAY 1984 BRITISH COLUMBIA POLICE ROADCHECK "BLITZ" TO REDUCE EITHER THE NUMBER OR PROPORTION OF ALCOHOL-RELATED CASUALTY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS LENT SUPPORT TO THESE CORRELATIONAL FINDINGS.(Author/publisher).