The long-term traffic safety impact of a pilot alcohol abuse treatment as an alternative to license suspensions.

During the 4-year period following a repeat driving under the influence (DUI) conviction, participants in 12-month treatment programs had worse overall traffic safety records than did recipients of license suspensions. The results from a series of analyses using repeated measures analysis of covariance showed that, in comparison with license-suspension recipients: (i) participants had significantly higher rates (70%) of nonalcohol-related accidents and convictions, (ii) participants had a significantly lower rate (9%) of alcohol-related convictions, but no difference was found on alcohol-related accidents, and (iii) participants had a significantly higher rate (30%) of total accidents (p less than .05). These results suggest that the use of license-suspension waiver as an incentive to participate in a drinking driver program had a negative impact on traffic safety. The predicted reductions in alcohol-related accidents among program participants did not occur, and reductions in nonalcohol-related accidents, which could have been achieved with license suspensions, were sacrificed. It was recommended that some other alternative besides license-suspension waivers be used as an inducement for repeat DUI offenders to participate in treatment.