Research Papers (2009 – 2013)

Abstract

In 2010, the government of British Columbia introduced new measures to deal with drinking drivers. The Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) program involved a series of increased sanctions applied at roadside for drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) starting at 50 mg/dL. The sanctions included a minimum 3-day driving prohibition, vehicle impoundment, administrative penalties, and a licence reinstatement fee. To assess the impact of the new measures on drinking and driving, roadside surveys were conducted in June 2010 (prior to the implementation of IRP) and again in June 2012. Drivers were randomly selected from the traffic stream between the hours of 21:00 and 03:00 on Wednesday through Saturday nights and asked to provide a voluntary breath sample to measure their alcohol use. Overall, the prevalence of driving after drinking decreased by 34% following the introduction of the new immediate roadside prohibition measures – from 9.9% of drivers in 2010 to 6.5% of drivers in 2012. Driving with a BAC over 50 mg/dL decreased by 42%; driving with a BAC over 80 mg/dL was 59% lower. The decreases in drinking and driving behaviour were not restricted to specific sub-groups of drivers or to certain times of night or days of the week. Rather, the changes were universal across age groups, driver sex, days, and times. The findings provide evidence of a profound change in the prevalence and pattern of drinking and driving behaviour in British Columbia following the introduction of the IRP program.

Douglas J. Beirness, Erin E. Beasley