Assessment of Alcohol and Young Driver Programs

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Assessment of Alcoholand Young DriverPrograms

• Doug Beirness
• Rob Foss
• September 27, 2007

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Overview

• Alcohol Programs
• Background
• Stages of Impaired Driving
• Opportunities for Intervention
• Recommendations
• Young Driver Programs
• Background
• Stages of Young Drivers
• Opportunities for Intervention
• Recommendations

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Alcohol Programs

• LA alcohol crash rates follow national trend
• Among the top 10
• In 2006, 475 deaths 48 of all (national 41)
• 10.5 deaths/100,000 population
• 75 higher than national rate of 5.9
• Over past several years, little change

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Figure 1 The Stages of Drinking and Driving
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Prosecution
Arrest
AlcoholConsumption
Sanctions
Impaired Driving
Crash/Injury
Programs
Driving
Safe Arrival
Medical Treatment
Identification andApprehension
Prevention
Dealing withOffenders
Opportunities for Intervention
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Stage 1
AlcoholConsumption
65 drink
22 drive after drinking 1 Billion Trips
Driving
90 drive
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Stage 2
Arrest
1 in 445 arrested 1.5 million
Impaired Driving
Crash/Injury
1 in 30,000 fatal 17,000
Safe Arrival
All the rest
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Stage 3
Prosecution
Sanctions
Programs
Medical Treatment
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Opportunities for Intervention

• Stage 1 Primary Prevention
• Information, awareness
• General deterrence
• Mass media
• Cost-benefit ratio 17
• Clear, simple messages, fresh

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Primary Prevention

• Youth Programs
• Two objectives
• 1. Keep safe now
• 2. Learn skills to keep safe later
• Speakers
• Raise awareness briefly
• LSU Campus-Community Coalition for Change
• Comprehensive program to foster safer community
• Change social norms, support safe/healthy behavior

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Primary Prevention

• Alcohol Policies
• Underage drinking e.g., Cops in Shops
• Zero tolerance for young drivers
• 18 year-olds in bars
• Server training/server intervention
• Encourage culture of moderation

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Primary Prevention

• Alternative Transportation
• Safe Ride services
• Subsidized taxis
• Designated drivers

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Identification and ApprehensionSecondary
Prevention

• Primarily responsibility of enforcement
• Maintain focus on fundamental principles/objective
  s
• Checkpoints increased perception of likelihood
  of being caught
• Saturation Patrols catch impaired drivers in
  most likely locations
• Breath test refusals
• Training

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Dealing with OffendersTertiary Prevention

• DWI code review
• Prosecutor training
• Diversion
• DWI courts

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Dealing with OffendersTertiary Prevention

• Specific Deterrence
• Sanctions retribution, incapacitation,
  rehabilitation and restitution
• Victim Impact Panels
• Ignition Interlock Programs
• Rehabilitation programs
• Screening, assessment, treatment
• Brief interventions

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A Process for Change

• AASHTO Model
• Simplified 4-step process
• Select committee to identify key features of
  problem and establish goals
• Identify strategy and action plan
• Implement the plan
• Evaluate it

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Recommendations

• General
• Establish a Vision
• Focus on concepts that lead to programs
• Set meaningful, challenging targets consistent
  with the vision
• Require evaluation of all programs

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Recommendations

• Legislation
• DWI code review
• Work to remove barriers to effective system
• Alcohol Policy
• Develop comprehensive alcohol strategy that will
  move from a culture of indulgence to a culture
  of moderation

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Recommendations

• Primary Prevention
• High priority to comprehensive programs
• Low priority to didactic programs
• Link media campaigns to other initiatives
• Alternative transportation
• Designated drivers

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Recommendations

• Identification and Apprehension
• Training of enforcement personnel
• Use checkpoints to enhance perception of risk of
  being arrested
• Target one community for concentrated enforcement
  program

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Recommendations

• Dealing with Offenders
• Conduct a review and evaluation of diversion
  programs
• Evaluate DWI courts
• VIP should be low priority
• Facilitate expansion of interlock programs
• Develop test program of screening/assessment/tre
  atment of DWI offenders
• Training of criminal justice personnel

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Young Driver Programs

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of
  death among youth
• In LA, 65 drivers 40 passengers aged 15 19
  die each year
• 30 of people killed in young driver crashes are
  other road users
• Little change over past 10 years

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Young Drivers

• Learning to drive is complicated
• Cognitive activity that involves social
  interaction with strangers at high speed
• Can teach rules of the road and vehicle handling
  skills
• Safe driving requires host of higher-order skills
• Eventually learn over few years, but price is
  high
• GDL opportunity to gain experience in lower risk
  conditions

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Stages of Young Drivers

• Pre-driving
• Observation of others primarily parents
• Novice
• Behind the wheel
• Instruction
• Practice
• (In)Experienced Young Driver
• Licensing
• Acquiring experience

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Opportunities for Intervention

• Pre-driving
• Encourage parents to model safe driving practices
• Novice
• Formal driver training
• Parental involvement in driver training
• (In)experienced young driver
• Licensing
• Enforcement

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Young Driver Programs

• Primarily alcohol-oriented
• LSU CCCC focus on alcohol but broader base of
  high-risk/unhealthy behaviors as well
• One-shot didactic programs have little impact
• Gaps
• Seat belt programs
• Improved Graduated Driver Licensing

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Recommendations

• General
• Focus on concepts rather than programs
• Broaden relationship with LSU
• Develop strategic approach to young driver
  programs
• Policy/legislation
• Upgrade GDL
• Create expert panel

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Recommendations

• Program activities
• Develop programs to involve parents in licensing
• Help parents with new driver supervision
• Help parents continue working with newly licensed
  drivers
• Encourage parents to think carefully about
  vehicle choices

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Recommendations

• Program activities
• Ensure GDL conditions well known
• Publicize enforcement of underage drinking laws
  and drink-driving laws
• Publicize enforcement of seat belt laws
• Explore opportunities to collaborate with
  universities to develop innovative approaches to
  driver training

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