STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

The purpose of this review is to update research on the prevention of alcohol-related traffic deaths since the 1988 Surgeon General's Worksh op on Drunk Driving. Four primary areas of research are reviewed here: (a) general deterrence policies, (b) alcohol control policies, (c) ma ss communications campaigns, including advertising restrictions, and ( d) community traffic safety programs. Modem efforts to combat drunk dr iving in the United States began with specific deterrence strategies t o punish convicted drunk drivers, and then evolved to include general deterrence strategies that were targeted to the population as a whole. Efforts next expanded to include the alcohol side of the problem, wit h measures installed to decrease underage drinking and excessive alcoh ol consumption. In the next several years, greater efforts are needed on all these fronts. Also needed, however, are programs that integrate drunk driving prevention with other traffic safety initiatives.