Raising the bar: can increased statutory penalties deter drink-drivers?
The rate of road accidents per 100,000 vehicles registered was examined before and after the statutory penalties for drink-driving offences were doubled in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Interrupted time-series analyses found significant increases in three non-fatal accident series after the implementation of the new penalties. The observed increase in the rate of single-vehicle night-time accidents, the accident category most likely to be alcohol-related, was not expected and runs contrary to the anticipated deterrent effect of the new laws. The failure of this policy to have an impact on aggregate-level road accident rates is discussed.
Briscoe
Suzanne
S
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Sydney, Australia. suzanne_briscoe@agd.nsw.gov.au
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement; D016014:Linear Models; D009517:New South Wales; D011678:Punishment