Reprinted with permission from The Journal of Legal Studies, Volume XXII, Chaloupka FJ, Saffer H, Grossman M, Alcohol-control policies and motor vehicle fatalities, 161-186, 1993. Copyrighted 1993 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.


Alcohol-control policies and motor-vehicle fatalities



ABSTRACT
(excerpted from Introduction and Background)

This study will estimate the effects of deterrence laws and other alcohol-control policies on drunk driving. Prior research does not provide an unambiguous assessment of these laws' effects. Many early studies used interrupted-time-series analysis, which may not be the most-appropriate method. Most also consider only one law. This study, however, simultaneously estimates the effects of all major drunk-driving laws, minimum legal drinking ages, and alcohol excise taxes. The article also makes novel use of an estimated alcohol-involved-driver fatality rate. We constructed this variable using information on the blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of drivers killed in crashes. We used an annual time series of state cross sections to estimate these models. This type of data set allows us to estimate effects more subtle than those detected with a univariate time series.


Published journal article (1.16MB PDF)


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