01492431

Component

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/169412.aspx

http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/169412.aspx

One of the most widely used and extensively studied sanctions to control alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers is the suspension or revocation of their privilege to drive. License suspension was first used as a court sanction, either by judges directly suspending the licenses of driving under the influence (DUI) offenders at the time of conviction, or by ordering the department of motor vehicles to suspend licenses once they were notified of the conviction. In an effort to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of license suspension, states began enacting administrative license suspension programs where peace officers impose the suspension at the time of DUI arrest. These administrative actions do not supplant the post-conviction license control actions, but rather constitute a parallel administrative process to the judicial one, delivering the license suspension action more quickly and surely. Studies of judicially and administratively implemented license programs indicate that license suspension works to control the overall traffic safety risk of first and repeat DUI offenders, and when used administratively attenuates alcohol-involved incidents as well. It is used within the context of a system of other sanctions and treatments, and researchers and policymakers should consider broader system effects when implementing new laws or programs or changing existing ones. Its main limitation is that it is widely violated, because it is an invisible offense and is difficult to enforce; enforcement activities that increase the probability of apprehension and technology that can unmask the invisible nature of the offense will likely increase compliance. Using license suspension in an integrated system involves consideration of how it exerts its effects, its limitations, strengths, and overall system goals. It is relatively inexpensive to administer and is cost-effective, but it does not break the repetitive nature of problem drinking and so should be combined with measures that do.

01492437

English

pp 41-53

2013-8

Transportation Research Circular

Countermeasures to Address Impaired Driving Offenders: Toward an Integrated Model

Web

References

Driver licenses; Impaired drivers; Recidivism; Suspensions; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic safety

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

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Sep 4 2013 2:11PM

• Controlling the Risk of Impaired Drivers Through Use of Vehicle-Based Sanctions: Impoundment, Forfeiture, and License Plate Sanctions
• Is a National Integrated Model for Management of DUI Offenders Possible?
• Overview of Effectiveness of Ignition Interlocks: Reflections from the Perspective of Theories of Punishment
• Reducing Recidivism and Promoting Sustained Change: A Process of Change Perspective
• Revisiting the Framework for an Integrated Model
• Sanctions and Rewards in DUI–DWI Court Settings
• Technologies to Monitor the Behavior of Alcohol-Involved Drivers