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Speed and Alcohol: A Deadly Mix-Is This Lethal Combination at Work in Your Community

NCJ Number
233994
Date Published
October 2010
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This report from the International Association of Chiefs of Police presents data on impaired driving and speeding-related deaths and injuries in car crashes.
Abstract
The report notes that since 2004, over 12,000 people each year lose their lives in car accidents involving drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of 0.08 or higher, and that almost half of these accidents annually are the result of a combination of excessive alcohol and speeding. Review of anecdotal evidence for this report found that there appears to be a correlation that speeders are often impaired and impaired drivers are often speeding. This report illustrates that relationship and identifies selected approaches for use by law enforcement officials to address the issue of speeding and alcohol traffic-related deaths and injuries in the community. The report is divided into nine sections that cover why speed and impaired driving enforcement is important, national level data on speeding and alcohol-related deaths and injuries, how traffic enforcement is important to the community, common factors in successful programs and current examples of programs and resources used in traffic enforcement, and data-driven approaches to crime and traffic safety. Tables, appendixes, and endnotes