Citation

Salzberg PM, Hauser R, Klingberg CL. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Q. J. 1982; 4(2): 30-37.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1982, American Association for Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Washington Habitual Traffic Offender Act was evaluated to determine its effectiveness in reducing traffic violations and collisions. The law requires a five-year license revocation for drivers who have accumulated three or more major traffic convictions or 20 or more total convictions. The law also permits a stay of the revocation for alcoholic drivers who have undertaken an approved alcoholism treatment program. The study was designed to assess the subsequent driving performance for revoked drivers and stayed drivers as compared to control groups of drivers who were eligible for but did not receive these sanctions. It was found that license revocation was associated with significant reductions in moving violation convictions and collisions as compared to control group drivers. Stay of revocation, however, had no impact on subsequent driving performance. The data were consistent with the possibility that revoked drivers continue to drive during the license denial period but may drive more cautiously in an attempt to avoid detection. The stayed drivers, in contrast, apparently did not modify their driving behavior as compared to drivers who avoided habitual offender sanctions.