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STATE OF NEW YORK
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
JOHN A. PASSIDOMO, Commissioner
JAMES F. McGUIRK, Deputy Commissioner for Operations
ANAL YS1Sj DISCUSSION
ACCIDENT TRENDS SINCE INITIATION OF THE
SPECIAL TRAFFIC OPTIONS PROGRAM FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED
(STOP.DWn IN NEW YORK STATE
by JERRY FRIEDMAN
OFFICE OF ALCOHOL AND
HIGHWAY SAFETY
CLARENCE W. MOSHER, Director
APRIL 1983
" I I I
1
i
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
New York State enacted the Special Traffic Options Program for Driving
While Intoxicated (STOP-DWI) in late 1981. The empowering legislation
requires that t·he program be evaluated by Ma:cch, 1985. This preliminary
analysis is the first of a series of interim evaluation studies.
There has been a significant reduction in traffic fatalities in New York
in 1982 over previous years. This analysis evaluates various hypotheses as
to why this reduction may have occurred. Hypotheses discussed are: severe
weather; the economy; restraint usage; vehicle mix; reduced speed; and
emergency medical care. After reviewing each of these factors, a tentative
conclusion is presented that the Special Traffic Options Program for Driving
While Intoxicated law appears to have had some.impact on the reduction in
traffic fatalities. It is expected that in the ~uture, additional data will
be analyzed in a similar fashion, to support the formal assessment of the
impact of the STOP-DWI Program.
The basic findings made by the staff of the Office of Alcohol and
Highway Safety (OAHS) were that fatal accidents statewide showed a significant
decrease last year and that specific time frames, such as late night hours
and holidays, showed tbe most visible reduction. While the overall accident
and injury occurrence remain unchanged, the late night period again shows
significant reduction.
~ .. ;~
~ '.
\'.
ENCLOSED CHARTS
_CHAR ___ T _____ I - VEHICLE OCCUPANTS KILLED AND INJURED . . . • • • • • p. 2
~C~HAR~T~~I~I - MONTHLY FATALITIES • • . . . . • • • • . . . . • . • p. 5
CHART III - INJURY ACCIDENTS • . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . • . p. 6
~CHAR~~T~~I~V - ALL ACCIDENTS •• . • • . . . . . . • • • . • • • • p. 7
~C~HAR~T~. __ ~V - DEATHS PER 100 MILLION VEHICLE MILES .•..••.• p. 11
_C_HAR~T~~V~I - FATAL ACCIDENTS . • . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . p. 13
CHART VII - FATAL ACCIDENTS (NEW YORK CITY, URBAN, RURAL) ... p. 16
CHART VIII - FATAL ACCIDENTS IN NEW YORK STATE . . . • • • • . • p. 17
_C_HAR __ T ____ I_X - URBAl~ FATAL ACCIDENTS • . . . . . • . . • . • . . • p. 18
~C~HA~R~T~ __ ~X - RURAL FATAL ACCIDENTS . . • . . • • . • . • . • • . p. 20
~CHAR~~T~-=X~I - NEW YORK CITY FATAL ACCIDENTS .. . . . . • . • . . p. 21
f\! CJ R S~
ACQUISITIONS
r--1-
r
As part of the initial STOP-DWI Administrative Evaluatiori, a detailed I analysis of the Statewide accident r~porting system and historical comparisons
was undertaken by staff of the Office of Alcohol and Highway Safety (OAHS) in
the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
The accident reporting system maintained by the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) depends totally on the accuracy and detail of reports which,
by law and as a matter of procedure, must be completed by police officers at
the scene of the accident. Historically, alcohol as a contributing factor in
accidents has been greatly under reported. For that reason, accurate
analysis of its true impact and contribution to the accidents occurring in
New York State is problematic. Several surrogate measures of alcohol's true
impact in highway accidents have been utilized in the past, but each is
somewhat lacking. In the analysis prepared by this office, a new measure was
utilized. A seven-hour period of time (10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.) was segre-
gated for analysis and utilized as a measure of alcohol and driving. Analysis
on all criteria was performed comparing the average of the three years
directly preceding the initiation of STOP-DWI with the accidents occurring
in the first year of the program.
Our initial findings indicate that New York State experienced a decrease
in severity of motor vehicle accidents in 1982 as compared to the previous
three-year average (see Chart I). Vehicle occupants account for 87% of the
total injured and killed in anyone year. Non-vehicle occupants were excluded
from the analysis, because the nature and severity of the injury of bicyclists
and pedestrians may be highly variable.
The total of 207,159 vehicle occupants killed or injured in 1982 'repre-
sents a one-half of one percent increase as compared to the 1979 through 1981
average. This overall increase is due primarily to a substantial increase ..
(4.8%) of individuals classified as having received a "C" injury. The DMV
\.
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\
%
C H A N G E
NYS DMV OFF~E OF ALCOHOL AND HmHWAY SAFETY
VEHICLE OCCUPANTS KILLED AND INdURED
7~--------------------------------------------~ ++.8%
1.6 - +Q5'% If 11
-3.8 --4.~% .
·-6.by'
-9.2 -
-14.6 .-
-lto.4~
-20~---T~-------I~------~I--------~I--------~I~ TOT KILL &INJ "8" INJ KILLED
"C" INJ "A n INJ 111111111 WlllllllJ % CHANGE
1982 VS 1979~1981 PREPARED ON APRIL 18, 1"983
I ·'N
I
~ /".:r = ... = .... ~~.:.·~"'*·"""'_~;O"·...-"' ...... ~_ .. ,> ..... ~.v_,_$>"_~~ ''''->''''''''p''~' .•. ,-~.... ,- '_-b-''''_' -- '~'''~~., '''- .,- -"""'~" \,~ .. __ v-~,' -, --> > ""~ ..... r~"""""""""'~-'"""""'-=<~"""","""_""'''''''''''''-'-''''''-'',,,,,,,, ,.,,,,~,o¥,,,,,,,, _-~ ,.;, ... c;;;,<,"-"",. ""'L.:"'_::"=_''''''J<'< ... ~r Z"""':;~"""".\ .... ",..~~'''''=o=I<.;~.",, ... ·.''-V~'':::.;:t~~~';t::J.t\~F:'''''''''''''- ."_ ,..,."" ..... ,,~=<. ''':;'''';''''' __ ~:l<;w,,:c.;:C::~l::o::::~w~.;;:o.::..',::. j
. "'-1
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. --~---~--------...--------
-3-
defines a "e" injury on its accident reports as "injuries including momentary
unconsciousness, limping, nausea, hysteria~ and/or complaints of pain with no
visible injury." Discussions with several insurance companies indicated that
reported increases in these least severe injuries may occur during more
depressed economic periods. Reporting of these types of injuries has an
. inverse relationship with the economy. "B" injuries, defined as a "lump on
the head, abrasions, and/or minor lacerations," showed a decrease of 4.3% in
1982. "A" injuries, defined as "several lacerations, broken or distorted
limbs, skull fractures, crushed chest, internal injuries. unconsciousness
when taken from the accident scene, and/or unable to leave the accident scene
without assistance," decreased 6.6%. "Vehicle occupants killed" declineJ
16.4%.
The primary hypothesis explored for these changes in the accident picture
was that the Special Traffic Options Program for Driving While Intoxicated
(STOP-DWI) effort has had some effect on the driving patterns and resultant
accidents of individuals utilizing the roads of New York State. The other
new significant drinking driver law raised the purchase age of alcoholic
beverages to 19. Because that law did not come into effect until the last
month of the year, its impact was not considered significant and will be
analyzed in later studies.
Several alternative hypotheses for the change in the accident picture
were explored and our findings on these are as follows:
Severe Weather: In the initial stages of the program, much discussion
centered on the effects of winter driving, particularly
in January, February, and April, 1982, all of which
reflected greater than anticipated drops in fatalities
Economy:
-4-
and fatal accidents (see Chart II). However, there
were significant decreases in fatalities experienced
in months when weather was not a factor. Therefore,
weather contributed somewhat to the general trend.
However, this was not sustained through the entire
year and does not account for the overall reductions .
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) attributed primary causality to economic
variables reflected nationwide in the 10% reduction
in fatalities as reported in its Fatal Accident
Reporting System (FARS). However, while NHTSA has
established some relationship between the Gross
National Product and accidents, and is studying an
apparent inverse relationship when comparing fatal
accidents with the unemployment percentage in specific
states, these relationships are not perfect and have
yet to be validated. In New York State, the Institute
for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR) is
studying correlations between unemployment and highway
fatalities, Natiunwide, the areas of greatest un-
>employment are not necessarily those with the greatest
decrease in fatalities. Additionally, if one accepts
a fatality as a random event, a better measure of
e:conomic contribution may be in injuries or overall
accidents which last year re~ained relatively unchanged
(see Charts III and IV). The State of Michigan
experienced a substantial decrease in fatalities (11%)
r
\
".
300
240
'N F "
U A MT 180 B A E L R I
T 120 o I F E
S 60
o
-
-
-
-
NYS DMV OFFICE OF ALCOHOL AND HIGHWAY SAFETY
MONTHLY FATALITIES
::i.~
• --NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
_. . NOV80-0CT81 . NOV81-0CT82
w....o<-L~~~ NOV82-DEC82 MONTH
PREPARED ON APRIL 18~ 1983
-----------------~------~.~~ -- -~
I l.. I
~: l-
tt-
v-I
NYS DMV OFF~E OF ALCOHOL AND HffiHWAY SAFETY INJURY ACCIDENTS
200000
f 17 090
\
172725 n4:230 r,. !) 1'10'111
160000 STATEWIDE
N I 1982. VS 3YR AVG
INJURY ACCIDENTS
~ ~ 120000 6PM-6AM -'.1% ALL tNUURY ACCIDENTS
B U - 1.9"
E R INJURY Ace 'DENTS R I IOPM -,.AM -10.6%
80000 E 1303(., I
0'1
Os I
F
40000 38m 39.199
1979 1980 1981 3 YEAR AVG 1982
YEAR PREPARED ON APRIL 4, 1983
\
, .
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(( II
h ••
NYS DMV OFF~E OF ALCOHOL AND H~HWAY SAFETY
ALL ACCIDENTS 300000~----------------------------------------------~
N A U C
240000
M C .180000 B I E D
Z6I,I~P
R E 120000 N la9q+3
o T F S
60000
1979
213,001 l.68 0',
1980 1981 79-81 AVG 1982
YEAR PREPARED ON APRIL 4, 1983
STATEWIDE
1982 YS 3YR AVG Ace ,DENTS
6PM-6AM -7.7%
ALL ACC\OENTS -\.8% ..
ACC\OENTS . IOPM -5AM -\0.'[%
c
I "'"-I I
I !
I i
t
Restraint Usage
- ~ -~--- ----
-8-
in 1982 as compared to 1981. They attributed primary
causality to the economic variable, specifically citing
decreases in miles driven. However, according to the
New York State Department of Transportation, miles
driven in New York increased last year. It is our
opinion that while the economy, and most notably the
percentage of unemployment, may be a contributing factor
to occurrence of fatal'accidents in New York State, the
total impact of this variable is as yet undetermined and
may be more of a factor in specific regions of the State
rather than the state as a whole.
DMV accident reports indicate that there was a signifi-
cant increase in restraint usage in 1981 versus 1982,
from 10.6% to 12.4% for all drivers and passengers
in New York. However, child restraint usage signifi-
cantly increased as a direct Tesult of the enactment of
the Child Restraint Law in April. The number of
restrained children more than doubled. Vehicle occupants
using lap belts, harnesses, or lap belt and harness
showed a slight increase. It is possible that better
reporting could be a factor, as the percentage listed
on accident reports as "Unspecified" showed a decrease.
However, where "No Restraint Used" was listed on the
report, the decrease observed was minimal. It is likely,
therefore, that while increased restraint usage did
contribute to the general decline in accident severity,
Vehiele Mix
Reduced Speed
-9-
particularly among young children, the overall impact
of this variable is minimal.
According to federal estimates, there is a growing pro-
.portion of smaller cars on the roads competing for space
with larger vehicles such as trucks. NHTSA studies
found this situation is likely to produce more, rather
than less severe accidents. In New York State, the type
of vehicle involved in an accident remains relatively
unchanged. Passenger vehicles continue to comprise
approximately 80% of the accident~involved vehicles.
However, vehicles in use are gettulg somewhat older, now
averaging approximately 5 1/2 to 6 years and show a
slight. increase in vehicle defects (up approximately 2%)
when compared to 1981. None of these indicies wdtild
support a decrease in severity.
While it is true that a sharp reduction in average
speed would reduce accident severity, surveys by the
New York State Police and the New York State Department
of Transportation do not support that a reduction in
speed is actually occurring. Federal estimates have
Improved Emergency Medical Response
-10-
indicated the opposite to be true, and several states
may face loss of 55 miles per hour highway funds, as
they are no longer in compliance with Federal statutes.
Theoretically, if Emergency Medical Technicians are
better trained, equipped, and respond more quickly,
accident severity should decrease. The New York State
Department of Health has been unable to furnish docu-
mentation to support this hypothesis as actually having
occurred in New York.
We must return to our primary hypothesis and analyze alcohol as a con-
tributing factor to ascertain its proportion of responsibility for the decrease.
The Federal Government has indicated that in 1982 we have had the fewest
number of fatal accidents ever experienced in our country (3.0 per hundred
million vehicle miles driven). In New York Sta~r' reports i.ndicate 2.7 deaths
per hundred million miles driven. This decrease continued and accelerated a
trend which began in 1966 (see Chart V). The Department of Motor Vehicles
Accident Reports for 1982 indicate a decrease in motor vehicle deaths of 14.39%
in 1982 as compared to 1981. The 1,947 fatal accidents and the 2,147 fatalities
occurring in 1982 were the fewest since 1960. In that year, there were 75% of
t~e current licenses and 61% of the current registrations in effect, representing
a significantly smaller population base. The rate of decrease in fatal accidents
is the steepest since the World War II years of 1941 through 1943, when gasoline
rationing and other driving limitations were imposed. Only at two other times
were similar decreases noted. One was durin~ the depression (1938) and the other ~, , \
during the gas \, crises of 1974-75 and 1979.. Total motor vehicle deaths for 1982
I I
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N U D M E B A E T R H
S 0 F
------~--- --~-----
NYS DMV OFF~E OF ALCOHOL AND HIDHWAY SAFETY
DEA THS PER 100 MILLION VEHICLE MILES 5.5~----------------------------------------------~
4.6
3.7
2.8
1.9
1966. 1968 1970 1972 1974. 1976 1978 1980 1982 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981
Wd$#A1 DEATHS YEAR
PREPARED ON APRIL 18, 1983
, . t
"
~-- - -------
I ...... ...... I
~ .1-3
<l
-12- i
I are down 354 versus the previous three-year average. Available data indicates
that this downward trend has been consistent during the 14 months since the
inception of the STOP-DWI program.
The analysis of accidents wa.s broken down into three distinct categories.
Aside from the overall trends, staff analyzed two "evening hour" time frames:
(1) the standard DMV 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. nighttime, and (2) a new standard
which was designated "Bar Hours." The "Bar Hours" period of 10:00 p.m. to
5:00 a.m. were chosen, as they comprise the hours of greatest discretionary
driving with highest presumed alcohol involvement. It would be less likely
that individuals would be on the road for work, commuting, touring or going to
or from meals during this period. Additionally, 20 counties of the state which
account for 75% of the population and 72% of the licensed drivers, have bar
closings uniformly at 4:00 a.m. The final consideration for this time selection
was the known reported alcohol activity during these hours. Overall in 1982,
43% of all fatal accidents were reported as alcohol-related. During the 6:00 p.m.
to 6:00 a.m. period, 60% were alcohol-related. During the 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
time frame, better than 71% of all reported fatal accidents indicated alcohol
involvement.
As was previously indicated, the totals for injury accidents and all
accidents (Charts III and IV) show very modest declines between the previous
three-year average and 1982. However, the 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. portion
outlined in Charts III and IV shows substantial decreases in both injury
accidents (-5.1%) and all accidents (-7.7%). The "Bar Hours" segment shows
an even larger decline of over 10% in both cases. The decrease was consistent
throughout the year and suggests a substantial change in the overall driving
pattern. When fatal accidents (Chart VI) are examined, ah even sharper decline
is noted. While all fatal accidents (-15.1%) and nighttime fatal accidents
---------------------------_____________ ~ ______ _2 __________________ ~ ___ . __ .
r·
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A F C A C T I A D
,.;:.' L L..
N T S
,
NYS DMV OFFICE OF ALCOHOL AND HIGHWAY SAFETY
FATAL ACCIDENTS 2500 ....... ----------------------.. ··1 2380
2,00 22(H· 2202
~~.
2000 ,947
1500 1~89
11'38
1000
500
1979 1980 1981 79-81 AVG ·1982
_~~~M~~~M YEAR PREPARED ON APRIL 4, 1983
- -.". ~",~.,. -' .. ~-,... -"",' .. " .. '
". "
1982 VS 3YR AV6
FATAL ACCIDENTS 6PM - 6AM -18.7°4
ALL F"ATAL ACC'DENTS -'5".1%
FATAL ACCIDENTS 10 PM - 5AM -22.6%
f I-' Lv f
I ~ ~ .. \., r ~
-14-
(-18.7%) show substantial decreases, it is the "Bar Hours" which show the
most dramatic drop (-22.8%). Again, this general trend has been continuous
since the STOP-DWI program was initiated.
Additionally, holidays and weekends were analyzed. This analysis began
as a result of United Press International (UPI) reports of eight deaths during
the New Year's Holiday Weekend. The Department of Motor Vehicles Division of
Research and Development provided fatal accident statistics for the last
13 years. The number of fatal accidents was normalized to reflect the average
number of fatal accidents per hour, as the time periods for the holidays vary.
The six holidays analyzed by DMV on an annual basis are: New Years, Memorial
Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For the 76
holidays prior to initiation of the law, there was one fatal accident every
three hours and 43 minutes. In the nine holidays since the STOP-DWI law, there
was one fatal accidenc every five hours and 23 minutes. A difference of means
test was performed with a resultant Z score of +S.16. The results are statisti-
cally significant at the 99.9% confidence level which indicates that the change
did not occur as a result of chance. Additionally, weekends since the enactment
of STOp-mn show a IS. 8% decrease in fatalities.
The Department's Division ofP...Bsearch and Development reports on accident
activity in three overall areas of New York State: (1) The five boroughs of
New York City; (2) Rural areas, which are comprised of the State's towns; and
(3) Urban areas, which ~T.e comprised of cities, most villages, and six urban
towns including Tonawanda and Niskayuna.
The largest percentage of roadway jurisdiction over 60% is in areas
classified as rural. Urban roads account for better than 20%, and New York
City approximately lS% of the lined roadway. In New York State, the distri-
but ion of fatal accidents on these roads b.as remained relatively unchanged for
-lS-
the past few years. That is, rural areas account for nearly 60% of all fatal
accidents, New York City approximately 2S%, and urban areas approximately lS%.
The 1982 figures, while continuing that trend (see Chart VII), do reflect a
difference in the general rates of decline. In fact, overall urban areas
showed an increase in fatal accidents in 1982 versus the previous three-year
I) New York C1."ty showed a substantial decrease, and average (see Chart VII •
rural areas had the largest rate of decrease.
In urban areas, we found that while overall there was a 3.1% increase in
urban fatal accidents (Chart IX), the time period of 10:00 p.m. to S:OO a.m.
f l Q S% All reported accidents in the urban area showed showed a decrease () u. o.
a similar trend with an ov~rall increase and a sharp drop (-8.4%) during the
late night bar hours. Additionally, pedestrian fatalities in areas classified
1 t Pedestr1."an fatal accidents went as urban showed a dramatic increase as year.
This from a three-year average of just over 97 to 120, a 23.3% increase.
mirrors the total daylight hours (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) fatal accident
23% In th1."s connection, the reports of Blood experience which rose just over o.
Alcohol Content (BAC) filed by county coroners indicates a minor negative shift
h " h average BAC of drivers in 1981 was .1SS, while the among drivers; t at loS, t e
first nine months of BAC results in 1982 showed an average BAC of .143. At the
same time, the average BAC of pedestrians rose. While this difference is not
presumed to be significant, it may relate to two phenomena we have recently
experienced. One is the repeal of public intoxication laws in New York State.
The other is the purported loss of revenue by tavern owners. The bar patron
in the urban environment havin~ access to alternative modes of transportation
h 1 d i In the City of Albany, for example, this may elect to walk rat er tlan r ve.
alternative was actively promoted by some downtown tavern owners. Rural areas
have no easy access to alternative modes of transportation. The tavern owners
j ~ i j 1
, ! I
, "
f I t~·
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NYS DMV OFT J C[ UF ALt~UHOL A~Il) H I Gl-lt~ A '( !-~AI--L I '(
FA 1 AL AGe J 00 II ~
!'IYC 26. 5/~ 516
l\ 41fflill
~ I
-- '~:.::'~~,~: j~JSS~?~~:::,;~:~:~j~~·;='~~~-:· ~~~:::;::'=
RURAL 58.6% 1276
............. ~.- _ .. _ ........ -~- .. ~.--'" ... - ----_.-._ .. --. -'. --_ .. -,~ .. ~-•• • .... _ .. _ .... __ ._ ._ •• r • • ..... . ~ ... -.~-..... .- ~ . - ..
~-'.-- . "'''' . -.. - --_ .. _._ ... '.-
1982 PREPARED ON APRIL 4~ 1983
(J
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URBAI'! 1 4 . 9/~ _ 290
I I-' 0\ I
~ <: H H
~'
"
~
! ~
i I
I
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I
\~
\
NYS DMV OFF~E OF ALCOHOL AND HffiHWAY SAFETY FATAL ACCIDENTS IN NEW YORK STATE
2500~----------------------------------------------~
F 2000-A
N T U A M L 1500
B A E C R C 1000 o I F D
E N 500 T S
\ ~I •
iZ94
TOT FATAL ACC URBAN ACC : ... ~
'.
LOCATION
33.a
11+1
RURAl- ACC
PREPARED ON APRIL 18, 1983
NYC ACC
-----------------~---. ------
1982.. VS 3YR A'13
STATEWIDE' FATAL ~CIDENT5 -I~.I Y.
URBAN FATAL ACCIDENTS +.3.\%
RURAL FATAL ACCIDENTS -20.4-1·
NEW 'YORK (lTY FATAL ACCIDENT -10.90/0
I i-' '-J I
~ 1-3
<: H H H
.- "
--1 !
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F A
N T U A M L
B A E C R C
o I F D
E N T S
NYS DMV OFF~E OF ALCOHOL AND HmHWAY SAFETY URBAN FATAL ACCIDENTS
350~----------------------------------------------~ , .
280 81
ll5 210
1f>1 ICc1
140
70
1979 1980 1981 79-81 AVG 1982
YEAR PREPARED ON APRIL 18, 1983
URBAN AREAS 1982. VS 3YR AVG FATAL ACCIDENTS
6PM-6AM -1.7 Yo ALL FATAL ACCIDENTS
+3.1%
FATAL Ace lDENTS IOPM - "PM -18.; cy.
I ..... ex> I
-~--~-~~
-1
'1 I
---------- --------------- ~-
-19-
in these areas have been particularly vocal in their opposition to legislation
which they say has affected their business. But, an examination of the fatal
accident experience in rural areas reveals a consistent 20% or greater decline
across all time frames (see Chart X).
The accident analysis of New York City :reinforces the dramatic effects of
the late night 'hour decline. New York City experienced better than a 25%
reduction in "Bar Hour" fatal accidents (see Chart XI), while daylight hours.
experienced less than a 4% reduction in fatal accidents.
Based on accident cost estimates provided by the Division of Alcoholism
and Alcohol Abuse (DAAA) , it is reasonable to assume that nearly a quarter of
a billion dollars has been saved due to the reduction in alcohol-related
accidents.
While it is t~ue that a direct causal relationship has yet to be
established, the initial evidence cannot be ignored. The fatal accident
decline commenced coincidentally with the enactment of tHe STOP-DWI program;
and historically, all other steep declines have been associated with specific
"social events" such as the Depression, the Wa:::: Years, and the oil embargo and
gas shortage years. Each month since the program began, the number of deaths
was lower than the same month's total for the previous year. The hours of pre-
sumed greatest proportion of drinking drivers being on the road show the greatest
decrease in fatal accidents. Holiday periods, when drinking has become a part
of the celebration, show a statistically significant decrease in fatal accidents.
Rural areas, where tavern owners themselves cite loss of revenue, show the
greatest and most consistent fatal accident decrease. While all accidents mld 4:
injury accidents in general show no decrease, the "Bar Hour" segment is down
more than 10%. Alternative hypotheses, such as weather and economy to the
primary role of STOP-DWI, do provide some explanation of a portion of the decline,
but fail to account for the totality and the entire scope of this phenomenon.
------~---- -- ~
f
I t r I
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\
F A
N T A
U L M
B A E C R C
o I F 0
E N T S
-. - -- ---~~~---~ ------- ---- --
NYS DMV OfFICE OF ALCOHOL AND HIGHWAY SAFETY RURAL FATAL ACCIDENTS
1750~----------------------------------------------~
/4-40
1400
1050-
700
350
1979 1980 1981 79-81 AVG 1982
YEAR PREPARED ~N APRIL 4. 1983
RURAL AREAS 1981 VS 3YR AVS FATAL ACCIDENTS
6PM-bAM -21.8 % ALL FATAL Ace IDENTS
-20.4 " FATAL ACClDENTS \oP~ • ~AM -22.9"
I N o I
1
i lI-;! , i
i
r
\
, -------------------~------------
NYS DMV OFFICE OF ALCOHOL AND HIGHWAY SAFETY
NYC FATAL ACCIDENTS
700~----------------------------------------------~
F .560 A
N T U A M L 420
B A E C R C 280
o I F D
E N 140 T S
282
1979
5 9
.2.10
1980 1981 79-81 AVG . 1982
YEAR PREPARED ON APRIL 4, 1983
NEW YORK ClTY 198Z VS 3YR A'IG
FATAL Ace IDENTS c P.M -6AM -11).9°"
ALL FATAL ACCIDENTS -10.9%
FATAL ACC'OE~T5 . 'OPM.-5AM -25:Sv.
I N
If
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