Impact of state ignition interlock laws on alcohol-involved crash deaths in the United States

E.J. Kaufman and D.J. Wiebe

American Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 106, issue 5, 865-871

Abstract: Objectives. To investigate the impact on alcohol-involved crash deaths of universal ignition interlock requirements, which aim to prevent people convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol from driving while intoxicated. Methods. We used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 1999 to 2013. From 2004 to 2013, 18 states made interlocks mandatory for all drunk-driving convictions. We compared alcohol-involved crash deaths between 18 states with and 32 states without universal interlock requirements, accounting for state and year effects, and for clustering within states. Results. Policy impact was apparent 3 years after implementation. The adjusted rate of alcohol-involved crash deaths was 4.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.0, 5.4) per 100 000 in states with the universal interlock requirement, compared with 5.5 (95% CI = 5.48, 5.53) in states without, an absolute reduction of 0.8 (95% CI = 0.1, 1.5) deaths per 100 000 per year. Conclusions. Requiring ignition interlocks for all drunk-driving convictions was associated with 15% fewer alcohol-involved crash deaths, compared with states with less-stringent requirements. Interlocks are a life-saving technology that merit wider use.

Keywords: age distribution; breath analysis; demography; drunken driving; epidemiology; human; legislation and jurisprudence; mortality; protective equipment; regression analysis; statistics and numerical data; time factor; traffic accident; United States, Accidents, Traffic; Age Distribution; Breath Tests; Driving Under the Influence; Humans; Protective Devices; Regression Analysis; Residence Characteristics; Time Factors; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303058_8

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303058

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