Citation

McKnight AJ, Langston EA, McKnight AS, Lange JE. Proc. Int. Counc. Alcohol Drugs Traffic Safety Conf. 1995; 1995: 143-147.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, The author(s) and the Council, Publisher International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Using a critical incidents approach, 600 drivers were called upon to identify the bases of decisions to drink and drive. In an unstructured interview, each driver described the bases for decisions leading to specific instances of impaired driving, including decisions regarding participation in drinking events, transportation to events, plans prior to and following initiation of drinking, activities while drinking, leaving the drinking event, and transportation following drinking. Over 12,000 individual decision bases were described. While the bases were highly specific to the individual decisions, those involving the social environment exerted the strongest influence, followed by influences of a personal nature, the occasion giving rise to drinking, economic considerations, plans already made, and usual patterns of behaviour. Results showed that the likelihood of alcohol impaired driving is largely determined by decisions made well in advance of the act itself.