MADD Home Page

Repeat Offender

Repeat offenders are a significant portion of the drunk driving problem – about one-third of all DUI arrests are of people who have been previously convicted of drunk driving. (Fell, 1995)  These are offenders who have been given the opportunity to mend their ways, but have not.  They require additional sanctions and treatment that "normal" DUI sanctions cannot provide.

The sanctions that every repeat offender should get are:
  • Administrative license revocation (link to ALR research). ALR significantly reduces DUI offenses and other moving violations among people with drunk driving convictions. (Voas et al, 1998)  This in turn decreases fatal crashes. (Zador et al, 1988; Voas et al, 2000) Learn more about ALR here.
  • Ignition interlock devices (link to interlock research). All offenders need interlocks, but repeat offenders especially so. Half to 75 percent of offenders drive on their suspended licenses – interlocks can reduce recidivism by 60-90 percent. . Learn more about interlocks here.
  • Treatment (link to treatment research). Every offender with alcohol problems should have to get treatment. Repeat offenders are even more likely to need treatment – even over half those who have serious crash injuries say they continue to drive drunk. Treatment can reduce recidivism by nine percent. (Wells-Parker, et al, 1995) Learn more about treatment here.

 

Resources

  • Fell, Jim. "Repeat DWI Offenders in the United States." Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Tech No. 85, February 1995. (Click here)
  • Jones, Ralph and John Lacey.  "State of Knowledge of Alcohol-Impaired Driving: Research on Repeat DWI Offenders." Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, February 2000.  (Click here)
  • Lacey, John, et al.Cost Benefit Analysis of Administrative License Suspension.DOT HS 807 689. Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, January 1991. (not yet online)
  • Larkin, E., E. Vingilis, G. Stoduto, and A. Parkinson-Heyes. “Psychosocial Sequelae Following a Serious Injury Producing Crash.” In Utzelmann, H.-D., G. Berghaus, and G. Kroj (Eds.). Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety – T92 (Vol. 2, pp. 945-949). Cologne, Germany: Verlage T<V Rheinland.
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  "Repeat DWI Offenders Are an Elusive Target."   Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Tech No. 217, March 2000.  (Click here)
  • Nichols, James, and H. Lawrence Ross. "The Effectiveness of Legal Sanctions in Dealing with Drinking Drivers." Alcohol, Drugs and Driving 6(2) (1990): 33-55. (Click here)
  • Peck, R.C., R. J. Wilson, and L. Sutton. "Driver License Strategies for Controlling the Persistent DUI Offender," Strategies for Dealing with the Persistent Drinking Driver. Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Circular No. 437. Washington, DC: National Research Council (1995): 48-49. (not yet online)
  • Voas, Robert and A. Scott Tippetts.  "The Relationship of Alcohol Safety Laws to Drinking Drivers in Fatal Crashes." Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1999. (Click here)
  • Voas, Robert, A. Scott Tippetts, and Jim Fell. "The Relationship of Alcohol Safety Laws to Drinking Drivers in Fatal Crashes." Accident Analysis and Prevention 32 (2000): 483-492. (not yet online)
  • Voas, Robert, A. Scott Tippetts, and Eileen Taylor. "Impact of Ohio Administrative License Suspension." In: 42nd Annual Proceedings: Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. AAAM, 1998. (not yet online)
  • Voas, Robert, et al.  "Effectiveness of the Ohio Vehicle Action and Administrative License Suspension Laws." Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, January 2000. (Click here)
  • Wells-Parker, Elisabeth, et al. "Final Results From a Meta-Analysis of Remedial Interventions with DUI Offenders." Addiction 90 (1995): 907-926.
  • Zador, Paul,et al. “Fatal Crash Involvement and Laws Against Alcohol-Impaired Driving.” Arlington, VA: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1988.