Bridging a historical gap: can changes in perceptions of law enforcement and social deterrence accelerate the prevention of drunk driving in low and middle-income countries?

Abstract

Objectives: The dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol/drugs (DWI) have been well established. Many countries have successfully reduced the incidence of DWI through effective law enforcement. We aim to explore the links between how law enforcement is perceived in cultures with different socioeconomic indicators. Our hypothesis is that social norms around definitions of what constitutes ''right'' vs. ''deviant'' behavior related to DWI directly contribute to the mode and success of law enforcement. Methods: Road safety professionals from six countries with different levels of DWI rates and enforcement strategies were interviewed regarding the expected local response to a case vignette. Sociodemographic, mortality, and economic indicators for each of these countries were extracted from different sources. Results: The professionals interviewed described a continuum ranging from unequivocal enforcement and punishment (Australia and Norway) to inconsistent enforcement and punishment with the presence of many legal loopholes (Mexico and Brazil). For the six countries, no apparent correlation was identified purely between alcohol consumption and road traffic mortality. However, there seems to be a correlation between the time period of initial DWI legislation and current gross national income, perceptions of local safety, satisfaction with the local environment, and trust in the national government. Higher levels of these scores are seen in nations in which DWI laws were implemented prior to the 1960s. Conclusion: Better performing countries seem to have achieved a level of societal agreement that DWI is deviant, generating social stigma against DWI that allows legislation to be enforced. Lessons learned from these countries could help developing countries reduce morbidity and mortality associated with DWI.

Assessing the Uniformity in Australian Animal Protection Law: A Statutory Comparison

“…However, laws also have an impact on offending by providing social deterrence. Such functions have been noted in the literature on drink driving statutes for drinking under the influence (DUI) offences [ 308 , 309 , 310 , 311 ], which are similar to many animal welfare offences in being summary offences [ 312 ]. Deterrence theory focuses on the ability of laws to deter members of society from committing illegal acts, as they believe that offenders will be caught and punished [ 311 ].…”

“…Such functions have been noted in the literature on drink driving statutes for drinking under the influence (DUI) offences [ 308 , 309 , 310 , 311 ], which are similar to many animal welfare offences in being summary offences [ 312 ]. Deterrence theory focuses on the ability of laws to deter members of society from committing illegal acts, as they believe that offenders will be caught and punished [ 311 ]. However, this type of deterrence works primarily for individuals who are least likely to commit offences: as research on DUI enforcement has indicated, individuals who are “extreme drink drivers” are not deterred by the possibility of punishment [ 308 , 309 , 310 ], as visceral and other factors influence the committing of crimes rather than intellect or rational decision-making [ 309 ].…”

Alcohol and Road Traffic Injuries in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Case-Crossover Study

“…Prior efforts to estimate the role of alcohol in RTI in the LAC region exist (Christophersen et al, 2016), but translating data to the need for intervention to both policy makers and the population at large has proven to be difficult (Pechansky et al, 2016; Pechansky and Chandran, 2012). The recently approved Decade of Action for Road Safety calls on Member States to take the necessary steps to make their roads safer (World Health Organization, 2010a), and the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development Goals, set a goal of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2020 (World Health Organization, 2015a).…”

Drug use and driving behaviors among drivers with and without alcohol-related infractions

“…Drivers who refuse are subject to the same fines and administrative penalties as drivers with a breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) between 0.04 and 0.35 mg/L of breath. [9][10][11] Evidence shows that it is possible to deter alcoholimpaired drivers, mainly through police enforcement and severe punishments. 2,12,13 However, even with a "dry law" in place and an increase in traffic enforcement in…”

“…Altogether, the higher risk profile of refusing drivers seen in our results, the mild sanctions, and the weak enforcement system in Brazil may be favoring the continuity of risk behaviors. Pechansky et al showed how the differences in enforcement and sanctions for DUI could be compared to road traffic mortality rates and to social and economic development parameters in different countries 10. According to these authors, developed countries with strict laws and enforcement actions have higher social deterrence regarding DUI and, consequently, lower traffic mortality rates.…”