Often, drunk driving is a symptom of a person's alcohol abuse or alcoholism. Over a three-year period, one judge sentenced all first offenders to clinical evaluation. Over eighty percent were assessed as problem drinkers or alcoholics. (Rauch, 2005) Other studies have shown that by clinical criteria, over 70 percent of all DUI offenders have alcohol abuse problems and 10 to 50 percent are alcohol dependent. (Wieczorek, 1992) Even those who have had serious injuries from drunk driving said one year after their crash that they had driven impaired at least once. (Larkin, 1993) Clearly, part of the solution to drunk driving is to solve an underlying substance abuse problem.

Mandatory assessment and treatment of DUI offenders address substance abuse problems. A comprehensive treatment program and some form of follow-up has been shown to decrease repeat offenses by seven to nine percent when done with other sanctions like administrative license sanctions (link to ALR). (Wells-Parker, 1995)  Treatment has shown results across gender and racial lines. (Woodall, et al, 2004)

Assessment and treatment need to be mandatory components of all DUI sentences to make sure that offenders get treatment when necessary. If a DUI offender has a problem with alcohol, that person is less like to endanger themselves and others again if the problem with alcohol is treated.

• Larkin, E., E. Vingilis, G. Stoduto, and A. Parkinson-Heyes. "Psychosocial Sequelae Following a Serious Injury Producing Crash." In Utzelmann, H.-D., G. Berghaus, & G. Kroj (Eds.). Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety – T92 (Vol. 2, pp. 945-949). Cologne, Germany: Verlage T<V Rheinland. (not yet online)
• 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)
• Rauch, William et al. “A Longitudinal Survival Analysis of Drivers with Multiple Alcohol-Related Traffic Offenses: Fifth Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Ignition Interlock License Restriction Trial in Maryland.” Proceedings of Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety - T 2002: 16th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, August 4-9, 2002. Ed. D. R. Mayhew and C. Dussault, (Vol. 1, pp. 139- 144). Montreal, Canada: Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, 2002.
• Wells-Parker, Elisabeth, et al. "Final Results From a Meta-Analysis of Remedial Interventions with DUI Offenders" Addiction 90 (1995): 907-926. (not yet online)
• Wieczorek, William, Brenda Miller, and Thomas Nochajski. "Multiple and Single Location Drinking Among DWI Offenders Referred for Alcoholism Evaluation." American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 18, no. 1 (1992):103-116. (not yet online)
• Woodall, Gill, et al.  "The Prevention Paradox, Traffic Safety, and Driving-While-Intoxicated Treatment."  American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 27, no. 2 (2004): 106-111.