1. Report No.

  DOT HS 809 827

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

  Evaluation of Lower BAC Limits for Convicted OUI Offenders In Maine

5. Report Date

  December 2004

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)
Jones, R.K. and Rodriguez-Iglesias, C.

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Mid-America Research Institute, Inc.
611 Main Street
Winchester, MA 01890

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTNH22-98-D-25079

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationOffice of Program Development and Delivery400 7th Street, S.W.Washington, DC 20590
400 7th Street SW.
Washington, DC 2059

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

  Final Report

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplementary Notes

Amy Berning was the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) for this project.

16. Abstract

This is the final report of a project evaluating the effectiveness of a lower BAC limit for drivers convicted of operating under the influence of intoxicants (OUI) in Maine. The law made it illegal for an OUI offender to drive with any amount of alcohol in the blood. The evaluation included a process evaluation of the law’s effect on the State’s traffic law enforcement efforts, and an impact evaluation of the law’s effect on OUI recidivism and traffic crashes. The study found the law had little or no burdensome effect on OUI enforcement processes or resource requirements, but contributed to a reduction of convicted OUI offenders in fatal crashes in general, and in alcohol-related fatal crashes in particular.

17. Key Words

Impaired driving, drinking driving, DWI, DUI, OUI, recidivism, traffic crashes, BAC, repeat offenders, traffic law legislation

18. Distribution Statement

This report is available from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161, 703-605-6000, and is free of charge from the NHTSA Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov

19. Security Classif. (Of this report)
Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (Of this page)
Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

22. Price