NCJ Number
63864
Date Published
1979
Length
61 pages
Annotation
THE EFFICIENCY OF SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT TEAMS ESTABLISHED UNDER UTAH'S ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROJECT (ASAP) TO DETECT DRINKING DRIVERS, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ASAP COUNTERMEASURES IN PREVENTING CRASHES, WERE EXAMINED.
Abstract
ASAP OPERATIONS FROM JULY 1, 1972, THROUGH JUNE 30, 1975, WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. THE SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT TEAMS WERE FORMED IN THE UTAH HIGHWAY PATROL, THE SALT LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE SALT LAKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE OGDEN POLICE DEPARTMENT. TEAM CHARACTERISTICS VARIED ACCORDING TO DIFFERENCES IN JURISDICTION, AGENCY PROCEDURES, AND REGULATIONS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT ARRESTS FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL INCREASED OVER THE LEVELS BEFORE ASAP AND THROUGHOUT ASAP OPERATION. THESE INCREASES ARE DUE TO GROWTH IN RATES OF REGULAR PATROL ARRESTS DURING ASAP OPERATION. THE PATROL TEAMS OPERATING IN URBANIZED AREAS WERE MORE EFFICIENT AT DRUNK-DRIVING DETECTION THAN WERE THOSE OPERATING IN RURAL AREAS. IF DETECTION CAPABILITIES AT LOWER BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT LEVELS WERE IMPROVED, ARREST NUMBERS COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED. A TIME SERIES ANALYSIS OF CRASH DATA IN DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS SHOWED THAT THE NUMBER OF OF CRASHES HAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED DURING ASAP OPERATION, ALTHOUGH SOME JURISDICTIONS DID SHOW DECREASES IN CRASHES. FIGURES, TABLES, AND APPENDIXES PRESENTING ADDITIONAL STUDY DATA ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)