This study presents the results of an evaluation of the 24/7 Sobriety Program in Cass County, North Dakota, looking specifically at participants’ likelihood of receiving a conviction of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) both during and after exiting the program. Data was collected of participants who have been enrolled in the program from the start of the program in 2010 through 2018 and matched to public criminal records searches of each participant. Several analyses were run to determine whether substance choice (alcohol vs. drugs), gender (male vs. female), and duration in program influence a participant’s likelihood to recidivate. Findings for each measure are presented including potential changes that could be made, as well as, limitations of the study.

Introduction: With many thousands of deaths still annually attributable to driving under the influence (DUI), it remains imperative that we continually address the problem of producing and sustaining effective countermeasures, and that we subject these efforts to empirical scrutiny. This article presents relevant findings from state-wide datasets. Results: A formula generating a potentially useful metric for assessing aspects of the DUI prosecutorial chain is presented, focusing on the rate of proactive DUI arrests. While in need of cautious interpretation due to issues of inherent inaccuracies in large databases, small numbers of crashes and/or arrests in multiple jurisdictions, and the lack of replication in other states, the analyses show no relationship between the level of DUI arrest activity and DUI-related crashes. This finding brings into question the efficacy of the many millions of dollars devoted each year to targeted DUI enforcement, as it is currently being implemented. Conclusions: Results are discussed in terms of developing adequate disincentives to DUI so as to raise general deterrence via dramatic increases in proactive DUI enforcement and then engaging in pervasive and persistent social marketing of such efforts to maximize the perception that arrest and punishment for DUI is always imminent, that penalties will be swift, certain, and severe. It is echoed that accurate data need to be collected at all levels of the DUI arrest and prosecution process in every jurisdiction within a state, so as to facilitate the empirical assessment of countermeasure efficacy in reducing alcohol-related crashes. Impact on Industry: Given that this work needs to be replicated, the impact on the traffic safety industry is potentially huge. The present data indicate that law enforcement efforts to further abate DUI-related crashes are apparently ineffective, though likely necessary to maintain reductions achieved in the 80s and early 90s. Thus, to attain additional systematic reductions, a dramatic increase in enforcement will be necessary as will a diversification of abatement efforts, including an increase in aggressive social marketing tactics to positively impact our traffic safety culture by making DUI universally unacceptable (for a discussion of this latter issue and on the use of positive reinforcement to change driver behavior, see Dula & Geller, 2007).

Due to drunk-driving fatality is the most focal issue in the U.S. traffic accident, this paper applies panel data model to analyze the influence of beer tax and other drunk-driving related laws on the U.S. drunk-driving fatality rate from 1982-2006. Different from former references, this paper investigate if the drunk-driving fatality rate declines by the time and by region. The result shows that drunk-driving fatality rate has declined by the time, especially, in 1987; the drunk-driving fatality rate statistically significant drops. The posibility is that U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth, ordered the automobile manufactures to set seat belt or air bag with the cars from 1987. However, the drunk-driving fatality rate doesn¡¦t show different significantly by region. This may suggest that regions have similar laws and cultural norms, which leads to similar drunk-driving fatality rate. Finally, the survey indicates the higher beer tax, BAC 0.08 Law, and Zero Tolerance Law are effective policies to reduce drunk-driving.

Licensed drivers arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol have increased rates of vehicle crashes, moving violations, traffic tickets, and contribute to an estimated 120 million occurrences of impaired driving per year (Evans, 2004; Jewett et al., 2015). Survey research on DUI offenders indicates traits of impulsivity (e.g., sensation seeking). Together, these pieces of evidence suggest that DUI offenders display patterns of impulsive action and risk-taking while driving. However, to-date DUI offenders are rarely studied in a laboratory setting, and not much is known about how they respond to a dose of alcohol. The present study examined the degree to which DUI offenders display an increased sensitivity to the acute impairing effects of alcohol on mechanisms of behavioral impulsivity, skill and risk-based driving simulations, and subjective evaluations of driving fitness and perceived intoxication following alcohol consumption. A sample of 20 DUI offenders were compared to a demographically-matched sample of 20 control drivers. All participants attended two dose sessions in which they received either a 0.65 g/kg dose of alcohol or a placebo dose, counterbalanced, on separate days. Results indicated that alcohol affected all of the behavioral outcome measures. More specifically, alcohol increased impulsive choice responses and decreased response inhibition on the behavioral impulsivity tasks. Alcohol also increased risky driving behaviors and decreased driving-related skills. Furthermore, alcohol generally decreased participants’ self-reported willingness and ability to drive a motor vehicle, and increased levels of intoxication and BAC estimations relative to placebo. With regard to group differences, DUI offenders showed an increased sensitivity to the disrupting effects of alcohol on impulsive choices, such that DUI offenders showed a significantly greater preference for impulsive choices under alcohol relative to placebo than controls. Taken together, these findings provide some of the first pieces of evidence that compared to controls, DUI offenders display an increased tendency for impulsive decisions under alcohol, which likely contributes to risky decisions to drive after drinking, despite clear evidence for their behavioral impairment. These findings could have important implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying maladaptive behaviors in this high-risk population, and sheds light on possible targets for intervention to reduce DUI recidivism.

Differential sentencing has been a reoccurring issue in the judicial system for decades. Sentencing disparity occurs when similar offenders (similar in offense type, age, gender, ethnicity, and SES) receive different sentences or when different offenders receive the same sentence (Spohn, 2009). Prior studies find a sex effect,where women tend to be treated more leniently than men (e.g., Daly, 1987a). Sentencing discrepancies are evident in crimes that are considered to be gendered. Certain types of crimes are more likely to be committed by females and receive more lenient sanctions than if a male were to commit these types of crimes. These crimes include shoplifting, petty theft, and forgery. On the contrary, certain types of crimes are more likely to be committed by males and receive more harsh sentences than if a female were to commit them. These crimes include aggravated assault, burglary, and homicide. Driving under the influence of alcohol was chosen to study here because in instances of DUI, individuals are initially apprehended due to perceived behaviors behind the wheel, and officers are unaware if the driver is male or female. This study examines whether discrepancies exist in DUI case sentencing in the state of Pennsylvania. The bivariate analyses performed found significant associations between variables. The ANOVA depicted significant findings among men and women. Overall, women were more likely to be treated more leniently than similarly situated men. The crosstabulations also depicted significant findings for the effects of the mitigating and aggravating circumstances on the different types of sanctions. The presence of aggravating circumstances was associated with more severe types of sanctions, whereas the presence of mitigating circumstances was associated with less severe sanctions. The multivariate logistic regression models show that women were nine times more likely than men to receive a license suspension, and .3 times less likely to receive a jail sentence. These findings suggest that the Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines are not preventing disparities like they are supposed to. This indicates that legislative reform needs to occur in order to prevent disparities among individuals.

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The aim of this study is to further establish the validity and reliability of the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI). The reliability and validity of the instrument was investigated by comparing data from a US university sample, a US community sample, and a sample of Belgian traffic offenders. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported the presence of a four-factor structure with items for Drunk Driving forming a separate scale apart from items for Risky Driving, Negative Cognitive/Emotional Driving and Aggressive Driving. A multi-group confirmatory factor analysis with model constraints supported the validity of the DDDI. Inter-correlations revealed that the DDDI subscales are closely interrelated and uni-dimensionality of the measure was found in all three samples. This suggests the DDDI Total score can be used as a composite measure for dangerous driving. However, the validity of the subscales was demonstrated in the Belgian sample, as specific traffic offender groups (convicted for drunk driving, aggressive driving, speeding) scored higher on corresponding scales (Drunk Driving, Aggressive Driving, and Risky Driving, respectively), indicating that it is clinically meaningful to differentiate the subscales.

Alcohol abuse among youth and young adults and accompanying undesirable behaviors (e.g., physical aggressiveness, vandalism, date rape, DUI) is a significant public health problem. This field research examined various intervention techniques for reducing excessive alcohol consumption in party settings. Prior to four fraternity parties, students' drinking intentions, lifestyles, and person characteristics (i.e., self-esteem, optimism, personal control, group cohesion, sensation seeking) were measured. Before and after the fraternity parties, students' blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was objectively assessed with a breathalyzer. During the fraternity parties, students' participation in various intervention techniques was systematically observed. The impact of the intervention process for reducing the risk of DUI was assessed with both within-subject and between-subject comparisons. That is, two fraternities and two sororities participated in two successive parties, one with the intervention process and the other as a control (with a balanced AB vs. BA format). It was hypothesized that the intervention techniques would reduce excessive alcohol consumption and DUI risk from comparisons within the same fraternity / sorority and between two different fraternities/sororities. It was also hypothesized that students' behavioral intentions to consume alcohol would predict their subsequent drinking behavior at a party. The intervention phase of the research was not successful in reducing overall intoxication rates at the fraternity parties studied. Students' intentions to consume alcohol, however, was a significant predictor of intoxication rates, accounting for 28 percent of the variance of exit BAC across all parties. Implications of this research for the design of future interventions aimed at curtailing the excessive use of alcohol among young adults are discussed. / Ph. D.

In this paper, design decisions to improve usability in APIs for implementations of DUI applications has been investigated. Namely what abstractions an API like that should provide to the programmer, and how those abstractions should be presented syntax-wise to the programmer in the API. The exploration was done with a literature study, development of a game prototype with a DUI API, and three user sessions where an interview, and a sketch task was done with the participating developers.

Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most frequently committed offenses in the United States and approximately one-third of DUI offenders are recidivists. Researchers have evaluated multiple DUI prevention approaches, most of which have been rooted in deterrence theory. Recently, the criminal justice system has moved away from deterrence-based approaches and begun employing various forms of rehabilitation to reduce DUI recidivism. This shift in the criminal justice system has lead researchers to begin exploring the effects of rehabilitation on DUI offenders, including an examination of offender compliance with rehabilitation programs. Although each of these areas has been investigated separately, existing studies have not incorporated deterrence-related measures, rehabilitation compliance, and offender recidivism into a single model. Utilizing a statewide sample of Kentucky DUI offenders, the primary goal of this dissertation was to examine whether rehabilitation compliance mediates the relationship between deterrence-related variables (conviction celerity and punishment severity) and DUI offender recidivism. Second, because existing studies have produced inconclusive or mixed results regarding deterrence among DUI offenders, analyses were conducted to examine the potential moderating effects of age, gender, substance use problem severity, and location on the relationship between deterrence-related variables and DUI recidivism. Overall, the hypothesized mediation models were unsupported. There was no direct correlation between the deterrence-related variables and DUI recidivism. In addition, while there was some evidence of moderation, the hypothesized moderation models were also largely unsupported. Despite these results, compliance was significantly related to DUI recidivism in all four models, and there was evidence of relationships between both compliance and DUI recidivism with age, gender, problem severity, and location. Findings highlight the importance of compliance and social and environmental variables in predicting DUI recidivism, suggesting that these variables may be more accurate predictors of DUI recidivism than deterrence-based variables. Results demonstrate a need for the criminal justice system to place more emphasis on offenders’ treatment needs, treatment accessibility, and retention of DUI offenders in rehabilitation programs in order to decrease DUI recidivism.