ANALYSIS OF TOTAL PROJECT IMPACT - FINAL REPORT, 1977

• NCJ Number: 59144
• Author(s): T CLAY; V S ELLINGSTAD
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 95 pages
• Contract Number(s): DOT-HS-52-1-068
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Admin
• Corporate Author: Phoenix (AZ) Alcohol Safety Action Project
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: ANALYTIC STUDY N 6 CITY OF PHOENIX ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROJECT

Annotation

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH RATES ARE EXAMINED AS A CRITERION OF THE IMPACT OF THE PHOENIX, ARIZ., ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROJECT (ASAP) DURING THE PERIOD 1972-1976.

Abstract

CHANGE BETWEEN BASELINE (1969-1971) AND OPERATIONAL (1972-76) PERIODS REGARDING MOTOR VEHICLES CRASH RATES IS EXAMINED USING AN INTERRUPTED TIME SERIES QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN. RESULTS INDICATE A DECREASING TREND IN BOTH INJURY AND TOTAL CRASHES. FATAL CRASHES WERE RELATIVELY UNCHANGED, BUT THEIR CHARACTERISTICALLY LOW MONTHLY FREQUENCY LIMITED USEFULNESS OF THIS MEASURE. CRASH SUBSETS KNOWN TO BE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL INVOLVEMENT, SUCH AS SINGLE VEHICLE AND NIGHTTIME INJURY, PROVIDED ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE FOR A DOWNWARD TREND. POSITIVE EFFECTS DID NOT, HOWEVER, COINCIDE WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF ASAP AND WERE SIMILAR TO TRENDS OBSERVED IN THE COMPARISON CITY OF TUCSON, ARIZONA. FOR THESE REASONS, IT IS NOT CONCLUSIVE THAT ASAP ACHIEVED ITS CRASH REDUCTION OBJECTIVES. CRASH DATA, HOWEVER, ARE PROBABLY TOO INSENSITIVE TO DETECT IMPROVEMENT. SECONDARY INDICATORS, EXAMINED IN OTHER ANALYSES IN THIS SERIES, MAY PROVIDE A FAIRER TEST OF PROJECT EFFECTIVENESS. COUNTERMEASURE ELEMENTS ARE DESCRIBED, AND THE ASAP SYSTEM PROCESS FROM ARREST THROUGH FINAL CASE DISPOSITION IS CHARTED. PROFILES OF FATAL CRASHES, DRIVERS, AND PEDESTRIANS ARE ALSO PRESENTED, ALONG WITH A COMPARISON BETWEEN ALCOHOL-RELATED ACCIDENTS AND OTHER ACCIDENTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED --RCB)