Sobriety Checkpoints Not Effective in Catching Drunk Drivers

Government Data Shows Roving Police Patrols Are Three Times More Likely to Apprehend Drunk Drivers than Roadblocks

WASHINGTON, May 23 -- As Memorial Day approaches and millions of holiday travelers take to the nation's highways, The American Beverage Institute (ABI) encourages law enforcement agencies around the country to employ the most effective means for getting drunk drivers off of the road. Unfortunately, ineffective tactics widely used today, including roadblocks and PR campaigns, target responsible adults while they ignore the root cause of today's drunk driving problem -- hard core product abusers and repeat offenders.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that the average blood alcohol content (BAC) of a drunk driver in a fatal car crash is 0.19% -- more than twice the legal limit. The NHTSA administrator has said that today's problem is "by far and away" made up of "those who have alcohol use disorders." And a NHTSA study found that "specific deterrence strategies, like roving patrols that 'hunt down' DWIs, might be the optimum means for targeting the hard core drinking driver."

"[T]he number of DWI arrests made by the roving patrol program was nearly three times the average number of DWIs made by the checkpoint programs," NHTSA reported. "If making a large number of DWI arrests is an objective of a program, [the data] clearly suggests that roving patrols would be the preferred option."

"Roadblocks, lower arrest thresholds, and red-ribbon campaigns are not going to change the behavior of the alcohol abusers who are the source of today's drunk driving problem," said ABI executive director John Doyle. "In fact, these efforts divert funds and attention away from the real problem. We need to use the most effective law enforcement methods we have to get drunk drivers off the road."

The American Beverage Institute is an association of restaurants committed to the responsible serving of adult beverages. To learn more visit: http://www.americanbeverageinstitute.com/.