NCJ Number
130440
Date Published
1991
Length
113 pages
Annotation
This study examined the costs of implementing laws calling for administrative driver's license suspension of drunk driving.
Abstract
These costs were compared with benefits obtained from license-reinstatement fees and reduced crash costs. Contacts were made with motor vehicle administrators, courts, police, and custodians of crash data in Nevada, Mississippi, and Illinois, which represent a range of State sizes and geographic locations as well as a variety of approaches to administrative license removal for drunk driving. Costs of implementing the administrative suspensions of driver's licenses for drunk driving were computed. In each State studied, the direct revenues associated with license reinstatement fees for drunk-driving offenders more than offset costs associated with the annual operation of the administrative license-revocation law. Additionally, the laws enabled the States to qualify for Federal Title 408 alcohol incentive funding which enhanced their resources for mounting anti-drunk-driving programs. Implementation of license suspensions resulted in dramatic decreases in the costs of nighttime crashes in each of the jurisdictions. The study recommends that States which do not have some form of a per se administrative license suspension for drunk driving give such legislation serious and approving consideration. Extensive figures and tables and 16 references