Citation

Mazurski E, Withaneachi D, Kelly S. Proc. Australas. Road Safety Res. Policing Educ. Conf. 2011; 15.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, copyright holder varies, Publisher Monash University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In New South Wales (NSW) drink driving is a significant contributing factor to road trauma and is currently a factor in about 20 per cent of fatal crashes. Additionally, in NSW each year about 15 per cent of convicted drink drivers have a previous drink driving conviction in the previous 5 years. The NSW Sober Driver Program (SDP) is a state-wide education and relapse prevention program for drink drivers convicted of two or more offences within five years. Using survival analyses, we report on recidivism over five and a half years among an initial cohort of SDP participants and a newer (2006-2007) cohort. The purpose of examining recidivism among the newer cohort was to establish whether the program impact continues. Examination of the newer cohort also allowed comparison of the nine week program with a recently introduced condensed version, with the same content delivered in three, rather than nine, sessions. The results indicated that, in relation to the comparison group, the program effect was maintained over five and a half years. The new cohort replicated the earlier effect and indicated that the SDP participants were 44 per cent less likely to re-offend than the comparison group. There were no significant differences in recidivism between SDP participants in the full or condensed versions. Given the impact of the program it is estimated that about 50 additional re-offences are prevented per annum from program participation.