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Research Reports |
| Title: | The 24/7 Sobriety Program's Effects on Impaired Drivers in North Dakota: 2014-2021 |
| Authors: | Kimberly Vachal and Yun Zhou |
| Publication Date: | Sep 2022 |
| Report #: | DP-317 |
| TRID #: | 01871803 |
| Keywords: | alcohol tests, drunk drivers, recidivism, repeat offenders, safety programs, trend (statistics) |
| Type: | Research Report – Department Publications |
The 24/7 Sobriety Program is an intervention strategy mandating that alcohol-impaired driving offenders remain sober as a condition of bond or pre-trial release. The goal is to monitor the most at-risk offenders in North Dakota and require that these individuals remain sober in order to keep roadways safe from hazardous drivers. As a component of the program, offenders are required to submit to twice-a-day blood alcohol concentration tests, ankle bracelet monitoring, drug patches, or urinalysis as a monitoring technique. While a pilot phase included a 60-day and discretionary enrollment options for repeat DUI offenders, the current standard is a minimum 360-day sentencing period for all repeat offenders in North Dakota and other early adaptor states. Stakeholder experiences and empirical evidence supported the program's deterrent effects on DUI-related citations. This assessment sought to extend the earlier research into North Dakota experience as a promising program into a maturing program. The goal was to offer evidence-based knowledge for critical program aspects in the state's continuous program improvement initiative. The focus areas were: (1) if positive deterrent effects were statistically evident during program enrollment; (2) if deterrent effects were sustained beyond program completion; (3) if deterrent effects were stronger among certain participant subpopulations; and, (4) if select factors were associated with greater likelihood for to recidivism. Results show that participants significantly improve crash and citation metrics after enrolling in the program. Individuals participating in the program for a fourth-time offense or higher have greater likelihood of relapsing into the alcohol impaired driving behavior. These individuals may benefit from supplemental strategies as they comprise a driver subpopulation more likely to have chronic alcohol abuse and mental health issues.
The following reports are listed by publication date in reverse chronological order.
Vachal, Kimberly, and Yun Zhou. The 24/7 Sobriety Program's Effects on Impaired Drivers in North Dakota: 2014-2021, DP-317. North Dakota State University, Fargo: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, 2022.
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