NCJ Number
68271
Date Published
1975
Length
182 pages
Annotation
THE THIRD VOLUME ON ENFORCEMENT COUNTERMEASURES OF 22 ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROJECTS (ASAP'S) OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION ASSESSES DEPLOYMENT STRATEGIES FOR IDENTIFYING DRUNK DRIVERS.
Abstract
ASAP'S SEEK TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO DRUNK-DRIVING PROBLEMS, TO EVALUATE INDIVIDUAL COUNTERMEASURES, AND TO PROMOTE ACTION IN EACH STATE IN THE ALCOHOL SAFETY AREA. SPECIFIC ASAP ENFORCEMENT COUNTERMEASURES INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT, DISTRIBUTION, AND UTILIZATION OF ALCOHOL-RELATED CRASH DATA TO DETERMINE HIGH ACCIDENT OCCURRENCE LOCATIONS FOR UNIT ASSIGNMENT; CHARACTERIZATION OF PARTICIPATING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES; AND DETERMINATION OF THE DEGREE OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARTICIPATING ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND ASAP DATA. STUDY DATA ON COUNTERMEASURES DERIVE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE FIELD SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND FROM POLICY STATEMENTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. MAJOR STRATEGIES FOR CONTROL OF DRUNKEN DRIVING ARE SURVEILLANCE OF KNOWN DRUNK-DRIVING OFFENDERS, ROAD BLOCKS, AND USE OF SPECIAL ASAP ENFORCEMENT TEAMS DEPLOYED DURING CRITICAL TIME PERIODS IN HIGH INCIDENCE AREAS. THE THIRD STRATEGY IS THE ONE PREDOMINANTLY USED IN THE SITES STUDIED. IN GENERAL, PATROL DEPLOYMENT IS REGARDED BY COMMANDERS AS AN ART RATHER THAN A SCIENCE, AND ARRESTS ARE TIME CONSUMING. ALTHOUGH ASAP'S COMPILE AND DISPATCH ALCOHOL-RELATED DATA IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL GUIDELINES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND COMMANDERS FAIL TO REASSESS OPERATING PROCEDURES ON THE BASIS OF DATA CONTAINED IN THE STUDIES. STRATEGIES ARE FREQUENTLY THE PRODUCT OF PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS WHICH REMAIN UNSHAKEN BY ANALYTICAL STUDIES. THUS, WHILE ASAP REPORTS ENTER THE FEDERAL MAINSTREAM, THEY FIND LITTLE APPLICATION IN PRACTICAL LOCAL POLICE ACTION. A SEPARATE OVERVIEW DESCRIBES THE SITUATION IN EACH ASAP. MAPS, TABLES, FIGURES, AND SAMPLES OF INVESTIGATION REPORT FORMS ARE FURNISHED.