NCJ Number
86226
Date Published
1980
Length
215 pages
Annotation
This evaluation of intervention programs for persons convicted of driving under the influence provided little evidence that the education programs had any effect on driving behavior as of October 1979.
Abstract
The Comprehensive Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Offender Treatment Demonstration Project was implemented to determine the effectiveness of alcohol education and educational counseling programs as countermeasures. Comparatively short-term alcohol traffic safety education programs were provided to persons having only one recorded conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), while more comprehensive, longer-term educational counseling programs were provided, with or without chemotherapy treatment, to persons having two or more convictions for DUI. Through the assignment of a proportion of DUI offenders to nontreatment control conditions, each program's potential for reducing accidents and driving violations was assessed compared to those not receiving treatment. Treatment effectiveness was assessed through data on recorded accidents, DUI offenses, and total moving violations occurring subsequent to random assignment. Survival analysis was used to compare control, home study, and inclass education groups, and comparisons were made for the total research sample, for two age subgroups, and three diagnostic subgroups (drinking problem severity). Additional analyses were conducted to determine the effect of quarterly letter monitoring and followup interview procedures on driving behavior. None of the 18 analyses showed statistically significant differences between groups. These results are preliminary. Tabular data, study methodology details, and education program objectives are appended.