Research Project Capsule 18-2SA

2018PDFTech Report18-2SAImpaired driversDrunk driversFatalitiesHuman factorsBlood alcohol levelsAnalysisDrunk drivingRisk assessmentSocial factorsTraffic accidentsalcohol-impaired drivingsafetyrisk factorshuman behaviorhighway safetyLouisianahighwayssafety and human factorssocietyLouisianaUnited StatesLouisiana Transportation Research CenterShipp, EvaLouisiana Transportation Research CenterLouisiana. Department of Transportation and DevelopmentLouisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.)Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have decreased over the past several years, but these tragic events continue to be a major problem. Despite the reduction, alcohol-impaired driving still accounts for more than 30% of all vehicle fatalities in Louisiana. Associating impaired driving with social and cultural factors must be considered. Behavior regarding alcohol consumption varies among areas of the state. Although rates of alcohol use for parishes in North Louisiana are lower than those in the south, several northern parish rates still exceed the national average. There is a need for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), law enforcement agencies, and other highway safety stakeholders to achieve a thorough understanding of the individual and system-wide influences that contribute to alcohol-impaired driving. Three specific objectives of this project are to synthesize and document existing resources that can be used to assess alcohol-impaired driving; to identify individual, community, and cultural influences that contribute to impaired driving in Louisiana; and to develop an interactive web tool for systemic risk assessment