Arrests and convictions for drunken driving in Virginia before and after adoption of a per se offense.

19022704PDFTech ReportVTRC 89-R12VirginiaVirginia Transportation Research CouncilStoke, Charles BByler, Patricia MVirginia Transportation Research CouncilUS Transportation CollectionIn July 1984, Virginia introduced a per se offense for drunken driving at the 0.15% BAC level the presumptive level of intoxication remained at 0.10%. There was concern that this difference between the per se and presumptive levels led to fewer arrests and convictions for drunken driving. In April 1986, the per se offense was lowered to 0.10% to match the presumptive level. The Virginia Transportation Research Council was asked to study rates for arrests and convictions for drunken driving under the varying laws. Three time periods were sampled: no per se offense, a per se offense of 0.15%, and a per se offense of 0.10%. The results of the data analysis indicated that there was no statistical difference in the number of arrests or convictions under the different laws