00987743

Component

http://onlinepubs.trb.org...nepubs/circulars/ec072.pdf

This paper examines research evidence on the effects of different blood alcohol levels on driving impairment and fatal crash risks and on the effects of lowering legal blood alcohol limits from 0.10% per se to 0.08% per se on alcohol-related fatal crash rates. Studies available before the 1998 congressional vote not to withhold highway construction funds from non-0.08% law states were examined as were studies released after that vote but before the 2000 congressional vote to withhold highway funds from non-0.08% law states. Before 1998, evidence from experimental laboratory studies, driver simulation and road course studies, roadside observational studies, and epidemiologic comparisons of drivers involved and not involved in fatal crashes demonstrated impairment in important driving tasks at levels below 0.08% blood alcohol content (BAC) as well as the heightened fatal crash risk at BACs of 0.08%. Studies published after 1998 show impairment on important driving tasks for all drivers at BACs of 0.08% or less and at least an 11-fold increase in single-vehicle fatal crash risk for drivers with BACs of 0.08% to 0.099%. In October 2000, Congress passed legislation that withheld federal highway funds from states without 0.08% per se laws effective in 2003. As of August 2003, 44 states had passed 0.08% laws.

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00987728

English

p. 129-142

2005-1

Transportation Research Circular

Putting Research Into Action: A Symposium on the Implementation of Research-Based Impaired Driving Countermeasures

Figures (2) ; References

Blood alcohol levels; Countermeasures; Crash rates; Drunk driving; Fatalities; Federal aid; Federal laws; Impaired drivers; Implementation; Per se laws; Road construction; States

Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor

TRIS, TRB

Mar 22 2005 12:00AM

• CHALLENGES TO IGNITION INTERLOCK PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
• COMMENTARY ON "GENERAL THEORY ON TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO POLICY AND PRACTICE"
• COMMENTARY ON "MINORITIES AND PRIMARY VERSUS SECONDARY BELT USE ENFORCEMENT"
• COMMENTARY ON "THE FALL AND RISE OF GRADUATED LICENSING IN NORTH AMERICA," "THE CASE FOR 0.08% PER SE LAWS," AND UNDERAGE DRINKING ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER
• COMMENTARY ON "VEHICLE SANCTIONS FOR REPEAT DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED OFFENDERS" AND ON "CHALLENGES TO IGNITION INTERLOCK PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION"
• COMMENTARY ON ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGES
• GENERAL THEORY ON TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO POLICY AND PRACTICE
• IMPLEMENTING IMPAIRED DRIVING COUNTERMEASURES: PUTTING RESEARCH INTO ACTION, A SYMPOSIUM, AUGUST 21-23, 2003, IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. FOREWORD
• MEASURING SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY ACTION IN ALCOHOL PREVENTION
• MINORITIES AND PRIMARY VERSUS SECONDARY BELT USE ENFORCEMENT
• PREVENTING ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS: PUBLIC POLICY STRATEGIES
• PUTTING RESEARCH INTO ACTION: SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS SAVE LIVES
• THE FALL AND RISE OF GRADUATED LICENSING IN NORTH AMERICA
• THE PASSPOINT SYSTEM--PASSIVE SENSORS AT MINICHECKPOINTS: BRINGING AUSTRALIA'S RANDOM BREATH TEST SYSTEM TO THE UNITED STATES
• THE PROBLEM DRIVER DETECTION SYSTEM: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
• VEHICLE SANCTIONS FOR REPEAT DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED OFFENDERS: FACTORS THAT FACILITATE OR IMPEDE THEIR ADOPTION OR IMPLEMENTATION