The early effects of Ontario's Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension law on driver fatalities with a BAC > 80 mg%.
BACKGROUND
On November 29, 1996, Ontario introduced an Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension (ADLS) law, which required that anyone charged with driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of 80 mg% or failing to provide a breath sample would have their licence suspended for a period of 90 days at the time the charge was laid. This study evaluates the early effects of Ontario's ADLS law on alcohol-involved driver fatalities.


METHODS
Interrupted time series analysis with ARIMA modelling was applied to the monthly proportion of drivers killed in Ontario with a BAC over 80 mg% for the period Jan. 1, 1988 to Dec. 31, 1997.


RESULTS
A significant intervention effect was found, with ADLS being associated with an estimated reduction of 17.3% in the proportion of fatally injured drivers who were over the legal limit.


CONCLUSIONS
These data provide an early indication that the law resulted in some success in reducing alcohol-related driver fatalities.
Mann
Robert E
RE
Social, Prevention and Health Policy Research Department, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1. robert_mann@camh.net
Smart
Reginald G
RG
Stoduto
Gina
G
Beirness
Douglas
D
Lamble
Robert
R
Vingilis
Evelyn
E
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology