The Traffic Safety Effectiveness of Education Programs for First Offense Drunk Drivers

This document is the final report concerning the effectiveness of the CDUI Project's education programs for first DUI offenders. There is a complemental report on educational counseling program effectiveness for multiple offenders. First offense drunk drivers were randomly assigned to a home study program, an in-class education program, or a non-treatment control group. Treatment effectiveness was measured by DUI offenses, accident involvement, and client life changes occurring subsequent to assignment. When the total first offender research sample was analyzed, the results indicated that both of the education programs produced significant reductions in DUI recidivism relative to the control group but there was no significant difference between the home study and in-class education methods. The analysis of client subsamples suggested that the home study program was not appropriate for all clients, but for the majority of clients the two education methods were equally effective. The Project's education programs had no effect on accident involvement, or on client life status. Neither of the secondary interventions, letter monitoring and follow-up interviews, had any traffic safety impact. The findings of this study should be interpreted in the proper context. Alcohol safety education programs are only one countermeasure in the post-detection portion of a drinking-driver control system. The CDUI Project's research design did not provide for a direct comparison of -education -programs with other post-detection countermeasures such as licensing action. Moreover, the existence of education programs certainly has no deterrent effect on the majority of drunk drivers who are not detected through law enforcement efforts. But when considered as a single component in a system of countermeasures, the findings of this study provided evidence that education programs can make a positive contribution to alcohol traffic safety by reducing the DUI recidivism of first offense drunk drivers. /Abstract from report summary page/