An evaluation of Washington's driving while intoxicated law: Effect on drunk driving recidivism

The 1980 Washington driving while intoxicated (DWI) law was evaluated to determine its impact on the subsequent driving behavior of persons convicted of DWI. The major provisions of this law were mandatory jail sentences for conviction of DWI and a change in the definition of DWI. The law made it illegal per se for a person to drive with a blood alcohol level of .10% or more. The law was intended to reduce the drunk driving and accidents of individuals convicted of DWI as well as deter such behavior among the general driving population. The study assessed the deterrence effect of the law on convicted DWI offenders. It was found that individuals convicted under the provisions of this law had higher accident rates and drunk driving recidivism rates than individuals convicted under the previous law. These increases suggest that mandatory jail sentences may fail to deter subsequent acts of drunk driving. It was concluded that alternative legal sanctions for DWI (such as license suspensions or revocations) may be sufficiently stringent to produce both general and specific deterrence of drunk driving.