National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behavior: 1995

NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Researchhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15253871996PDFResearch PaperJones, Timothy L.Boyle, John M., 1947-Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas (Firm)United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Program Development and EvaluationUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited StatesDrunk drivingPublic opinionSurveysStatisticsDOT-HS-808-438Tremont, Paul J.Final reportThis report presents findings from the first (1991), second (1993), and third (1995) surveys conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on attitudes and behaviors of the general public related to drinking and driving. The purpose of these periodic surveys is to track change in drinking and driving attitudes and behaviors, and thereby provide data needed to guide programmatic activity directed at the drinking and driving problem. The three surveys were administered to a national probability sample of driving age individuals residing in the United States. The surveys provide data on various topics relevant to the drinking and driving problem, including: support for taking action to reduce drinking and driving, opinions about current enforcement and penalties, expectations of consequences, intervention behavior, avoidance of drinking and driving, frequency of drinking and driving, efforts by hosts to prevent their guests from drinking and driving, and frequency of riding with a driver who may have consumed too much alcohol to be safe. The 1995 survey findings show that positive changes have taken place in drinking and driving attitudes and behavior since the 1991 and 1993 surveys. There has been a decline in the proportion of the population (age 16-64) who report having driven after drinking in the past year (from 28% to 24%) and the proportion who have ridden with a driver who may have drunk too much to be safe (from about 14% to 11%). Despite a slight decline since 1993, the public's concern about drinking and driving remains very high; 86% think it is "very important" to do something about the problem and 79% see drinking and driving as a "major threat" to the personal safety of themselves or their family. Two thirds of the public (age 16-64) believe sobriety checkpoints should be used more frequently (up slightly from 1993), while the percentage of the public who think penalties for drinking and driving violations should be much more severe is up substantially (37% in 1993 vs. 46% in 1995). /Abstract from report summary page/129