Hingson R, Heeren T, Kovenock D, Mangione T, Meyers A, Morelock S, Lederman R, Scotch N A
Am J Public Health. 1987 May;77(5):593-7. doi: 10.2105/ajph.77.5.593.
In 1981, Maine passed a drunk driving law with mandatory penalties and a new civil charge to increase the conviction rate. One year later, Massachusetts increased drunk driving penalties, particularly for repeat offenders and intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes. In Maine, single-vehicle nighttime fatal crashes declined 22 per cent the year before passage of the law, and 33 per cent the year after. Maine's rates returned to pre-law levels by the third post-law year. Prior to Massachusetts' new law, single-vehicle nighttime and overall fatal crashes there also declined 20% and 22%, whereas after this law fatal crash rates did not decline further compared with the pre-law year or other New England states. Pre- and post-law surveys indicate that both laws were followed by some increases in public perceptions that drunk drivers stopped by police would be arrested, convicted, and receive automatic penalties. But, few believed it was very likely that drunk drivers would be stopped. For only two of three years studied after Maine's law did more people there report decisions not to drive because they had drunk too much. In Massachusetts, reported driving after heavy drinking declined as much the year before as the three years after its law.
1981年，缅因州通过了一项针对酒后驾车的法律，规定了强制性处罚措施，并新增了一项民事指控，以提高定罪率。一年后，马萨诸塞州加大了对酒后驾车的处罚力度，尤其是对屡犯者以及涉及致命车祸的醉酒司机。在缅因州，该法律通过前一年，单车夜间致命车祸数量下降了22%，通过后的一年下降了33%。到法律通过后的第三年，缅因州的事故率又回到了法律实施前的水平。在马萨诸塞州新法律出台之前，该州单车夜间致命车祸及总体致命车祸数量也分别下降了20%和22%，然而与法律实施前一年或新英格兰其他州相比，该法律实施后致命车祸率并未进一步下降。法律实施前后的调查表明，这两项法律都使公众愈发认为，被警察截停的酒后驾车者会被逮捕、定罪并受到自动处罚。但是，很少有人认为酒后驾车者很可能会被截停。在缅因州法律通过后的三年研究期内仅有两年，该州更多人表示因为饮酒过量而决定不开车。在马萨诸塞州，报告的大量饮酒后驾车情况在法律通过前一年的下降幅度与通过后的三年相同。
