On October 16, 1998, the Michigan legislature passed a package of 20 bills to address the problem of repeat drunk driving and driving-while-license-suspended (DWLS). These laws, implemented on October 1, 1999, were specifically designed to aid law enforcement in separating the multiple offender from his or her vehicle, to strengthen legal consequences for repeat alcohol offenders, and to provide uniform licensing actions and treatments. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of this package of laws. The effects on crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving both repeat drunk drivers and repeat DWLS drivers are reported. Results show that Michigan's repeat alcohol offender laws have been effective in reducing the number of crashes, and crash-related injuries, involving repeat drunk drivers and people driving on a suspended or revoked license.
Samenvatting