Evaluation of Innovative State and Community Alcohol Projects: Breath Alcohol Testing Program Effectiveness, Impact and Transferability

• NCJ Number: 109656
• Author(s): B D Woods
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 56 pages
• Grant Number(s): DTNH 22-84-C-05051
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Admin
• Corporate Author: Pearl River Fund
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Breath alcohol testing (BAT) programs in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M., were evaluated regarding the effectiveness, impact, and transferability of the special drunk-driving (DD) enforcement squads and their use of BAT mobiles.

Abstract

Squad activity effectiveness was measured with DD arrests. Univariate time series analysis verified that department DD arrests generally doubled. Traffic accidents were analyzed for effects from the BAT programs. Multiple time series analysis was applied to Wednesday-through-Saturday-night-fatal-and-injury (WSNFI) crashes, their complements and comparison series, and crashes per travel exposure measured by fuel sales. Albuquerque WSNFI abruptly fell 21 percent 3 months into the BAT program, and it should reach a 69-percent reduction or greater if the 1-percent decline per month continues. Albuquerque WSNFI/fuel fell 5 percent when measured from program onset, 7 percent 3 months after, and an overall downward 0.2 percent per month following the program beginning. Santa Fe WSNFI temporarily fell 80 percent and WSNFI/fuel also fell 80 percent for the first month, but it is now moving upward at 2.6 percent per month. The repeat of the BAT program effectiveness and impact in Santa Fe implies concept transferability. 14 figures, 12 tables, and 61 references. (Publisher abstract modified)