DUI Countermeasures Overviewed

This article surveys the range of efforts that have been undertaken to prevent drunk driving. Restricting the "agent" -- alcohol -- has failed in its broadest application, absolute prohibition, but has been somewhat effective in narrower applications. Sanctioning the "host" -- the drunken driver -- can take several forms. Punishment appeals to the widespread view of drunk driving as a moral failure deserving of correction, but fails to work as a deterrent due to the immensely small probability of its application in any given case of drunk driving. The author favors educational and therapeutic intervention, which present themselves as a rare and important opportunity to prevent reoccurence after a DUI arrest, in light of the low ratio of DUI arrests to DUI events. Modifying the environment in which drinking takes place as a DUI countermeasure takes the forms of server education and ride service programs -- both measures where an understanding of the cultural environment in which drinking occurs is essential, with studies showing important differences among various ethnic groups -- and changes in the legislation regarding permissible blood alcohol content.