NCJ Number
134964
Journal
Accident Analysis and Prevention Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (1991) Pages: 37-44
Date Published
1991
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study of North Carolina female drivers less than 35 years old reports on trends in driver licensing, arrests for drinking and driving, single-vehicle (SV) nighttime and alcohol-related (A/R) crashes, and measured blood alcohol levels in fatalities for the period 1976-85.
Abstract
Data were obtained from State traffic accident files, driver history files, and the medical examiner files. In 1983 the North Carolina legislature passed the Safe Roads Act, which made sweeping changes in the drunk-driving laws, particularly regarding younger drivers. A review of data on arrests, SV nighttime crashes, and A/R crashes for licensed drivers indicates that males apparently responded positively to the law; however, data do not indicate that young females responded similarly. Females under 18 years old showed a decline in drunk-driving arrests, but the decline was only half that shown by males. Their reduction in A/R crashes was only a fourth as great as that of males, and their involvement in SV nighttime crashes went up by 29 percent compared to a 20-percent decrease by males. Overall, the data indicate a pattern of increased drinking and driving by young females. These findings suggest that public education campaigns and other preventive measures should target the subpopulation of young female drivers. 5 tables and 18 references