IMPAIRED DRIVING IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Incidence of Impaired Driving
For one of every 150 miles driven in South Dakota in
1999, a person with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) >.10
sat behind the wheel. Police in South Dakota reported 1,290
crashes involving a driver or pedestrian with a BAC of .01
or more. Formulas developed by NHTSA were used to estimate
the number of alcohol-related crashes where alcohol
involvement was not reported by the police. An estimated
total of 7,120 crashes in South Dakota involved alcohol
which killed 65 and injured an estimated 2,500 people.
Impaired Driving by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
In 1999, South Dakota drivers with:
· BACs of .10 and above were
involved in an estimated 6,800 crashes that killed 56 and
injured 2,200
· BACs between .08-.09 were
involved in an estimated 120 crashes that killed 3 and
injured 100
· Positive BACs below .08
were involved in an estimated 200 crashes that killed 6
and injured 200
Costs
Alcohol is a factor in 34% of South Dakota’s crash costs.
Alcohol-related crashes in South Dakota cost the public an
estimated $0.4 billion in 1999, including $0.2 billion in
monetary costs and almost $0.2 billion in quality of life
losses. (For definitions of the cost categories, see the
definitions fact sheet.) Alcohol-related crashes are
deadlier and more serious than other crashes. People other
than the drinking driver paid $0.2 billion of the
alcohol-related crash bill.
Costs per Alcohol-Related Injury
The average alcohol-related fatality in South Dakota
costs $3.3 million:
· $1.0 million in monetary
costs
· $2.3 million in quality of
life losses
The estimated cost per injured survivor of an
alcohol-related crash averaged $96,000:
· $47,000 in monetary costs
· $49,000 in quality of life
losses
Costs
per Mile Driven
Crash costs in South Dakota averaged:
· $6.10 per mile driven at
BACs of .10 and above
· $2.60 per mile driven at
BACs between .08-.09
· $0.10 per mile driven at
BACs of .00
Costs per Drink
The societal costs of alcohol-related crashes in South
Dakota averaged $1.20 per drink consumed. People other than
the drinking driver paid $.70 per drink.
Impact on Auto Insurance Rates
Alcohol-related crashes accounted for an estimated 17% of
South Dakota’s auto insurance payments. Reducing
alcohol-related crashes by 10% would save $8 million in
claims payments and loss adjustment expenses.
Prevention Savings of Impaired Driving Measures
South Dakota already has many important impaired driving
laws. They are saving money and lives. The estimates that
follow describe the expected costs and savings, given South
Dakota’s prices and impaired driving rates. The estimates
assume South Dakota’s laws achieve average U.S.
effectiveness levels.
Zero Tolerance Law: Laws like South Dakota’s that
make it illegal for persons under 21 to drive with a
positive BAC have reduced impaired-driving fatalities by 4%
on average. Per licensed youth driver, this law costs
approximately $30 and yields net savings of $700. Medical
care cost savings alone exceed the intervention cost. The
primary cost is the value of mobility lost by youth who are
forced to reduce their drinking or driving.
.08 BAC Law: A well-publicized State law lowering
driver BAC limits to .08 can potentially reduce
alcohol-related fatalities by an average of 7%. On average,
South Dakota’s .08 law saves an estimated $38 per licensed
driver. The value of mobility losses and alcohol sales
reductions resulting from the law would be a large majority
of the estimated $2.70 cost per licensed driver.
Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA): To reduce
alcohol-related fatal crashes among youth, South Dakota has
adopted a MLDA of 21. It saves an estimated $500 per
youthful driver. The loss of liquor sales is the large
majority of the $150 cost per youthful driver.
Graduated Licensing: Graduated licensing is a
three-stage program that involves a learner’s permit,
intermediate (provisional) license, and full licensure. To
advance between stages, young drivers are required to
demonstrate responsible driving behavior. Graduated
licensing with a midnight curfew could reduce youth
fatalities by at least 5% and total alcohol-related
fatalities by 2%. Savings amount to an estimated $500 per
youthful driver in South Dakota. The value of the mobility
lost by youth is the large majority of the estimated $60
cost per youthful driver.
Potential Savings from Further Prevention Efforts
A number of additional strategies can mitigate the harm
from impaired driving. The following paragraphs estimate the
potential savings, in South Dakota’s prices, if other proven
impaired driving prevention measures were widely implemented
in South Dakota.
Sobriety Checkpoint Program: Intensive enforcement
of South Dakota State BAC limits with highly visible
sobriety checkpoints typically would reduce alcohol-related
fatalities by at least 15% and save approximately $57,600
per checkpoint. Including police resources, costs of travel
delay and the value of mobility losses by impaired drivers
apprehended and sanctioned, the costs of conducting a
checkpoint average about $8,200.
Administrative License Revocation: Laws that allow
police or driver licensing authorities to revoke a driver’s
license swiftly and automatically for refusing or failing a
BAC test have reduced alcohol-related fatalities by 6.5% on
average and saved an estimated $49,800 per driver
sanctioned. The value of the driver’s lost mobility is the
large majority of the estimated $2,500 cost per driver
sanctioned. Reinstatement fees assessed to offenders
typically cover start-up and operating costs.
Enforcing Serving Intoxicated Patrons Law: Using
undercover police officers to enforce the State law against
serving alcohol to intoxicated bar and restaurant patrons
would reduce alcohol-related crash fatalities by an
estimated 11%. It would cost an estimated $0.30 per licensed
driver and save about $20 per licensed driver.
Server Training: Server training programs provide
education and training to servers of alcoholic beverages
with the goal of altering their serving practices to prevent
patron intoxication and alcohol-impaired driving. Generally,
40% to 60% of intoxicated patrons drive after consuming
alcohol in bars, clubs or restaurants. A statewide,
full-day, mandatory, face-to-face server training program
with active management support has the potential to reduce
nighttime DUI injury crashes by 17%. Implementing such a
program costs an estimated $60 per licensed driver and saves
about $200 in crash costs per licensed driver.
Interventions Targeting Repeat Offenders
Not many repeat offenders are deterred by broad impaired
driving laws. Four alternative sanctioning approaches have
proven especially effective at reducing repeat offenses.
Automobile Impoundment: Impounding vehicles after
conviction for DUI or driving while suspended can decrease
recidivism by an estimated 38% and DUI crashes by about 4%.
Overall, per vehicle impounded, enforcement of this law
would cost South Dakota approximately $700 and save on
average $3,800.
Ignition Interlock: Breathtesting ignition
interlocks are designed to prevent anyone with a positive
BAC from starting or driving a car. Attaching an interlock
to a car for a year after its operator is convicted of
driving while intoxicated would reduce recidivism by an
estimated 75% and alcohol-related fatalities by 7%. It would
save almost $7,300 per vehicle equipped. Including equipment
and case management costs, interlock costs would total
approximately $880 per vehicle.
Electronically Monitored House Arrest: Electronic
monitoring is an alternative to incarcerating repeat
offenders. It provides assurance of an offender’s presence
within an assigned area. Monitoring programs attach a device
to the wrist or ankle that relays a continuous signal to a
computer and also may require offenders to relay a breath
test when prompted by a random phone call. Implementation of
this program could decrease recidivism by an estimated 31%,
causing DUI crashes to decrease by about 3% in South Dakota.
Per person arrested, the program would cost nearly $1,300
and could avoid an estimated $4,800 in crash costs and
almost $1,660 in incarceration costs.
Intensive Probation Supervision with Treatment:
Intensive probation supervision with treatment is an
alternative to incarcerating repeat offenders. This early
intervention program seeks to reduce alcohol-impaired
driving by addressing repeat offenders’ drinking habits and
provides intensive individual counseling and monitoring.
Implementation of this program in South Dakota could
decrease recidivism by an estimated 48%, causing DUI crashes
to decrease by 4%. Typically, per person arrested, this
program costs approximately $1,100 and can avoid an
estimated $5,400 in crash costs and $470 in incarceration
costs.
Prevention Savings of Occupant Protection Measures
Along with impaired driving interventions, a number of
important occupant protection strategies reduce impaired
driving and other highway injuries.
Primary Safety Belt Law: Passage of a primary
safety belt law in South Dakota would allow law enforcement
to stop and ticket a driver for nonuse of a safety belt
without requiring the driver to be cited for or have
committed another offense. Unbelted occupants account for
98% of impaired driving fatalities in South Dakota. Savings
could amount to an estimated $4,300 per new belt user. If
enforced with frequent belt-use checkpoints, the value of
temporary discomfort experienced by some new belt wearers
and travel delay costs at checkpoints are the large majority
of the law’s estimated $260 cost per new belt user.
Child Safety Seat Law: Infants and children who
are seated in places other than the back seat account for
nearly 38% of child fatalities in South Dakota, and those
seated in the back seat without proper restraints account
for an additional 38% of child fatalities. Drinking drivers
are more likely than other drivers to transport children
improperly. Traveling in a child safety seat reduces the
chance of a crash death by an estimated 71% for infants and
54% for children age 1-4. Child safety seat laws like South
Dakota’s typically reduce occupant fatalities of children
age 4 and under by approximately 15% and their
alcohol-involved deaths by a similar amount. The average
child seat costs approximately $45 but avoids nearly $1,500
in injury costs.
Motorcycle Helmet Use Law: Statewide, 7% of
alcohol-related crash fatalities are motorcyclists; 98% of
these motorcyclists were unhelmeted. A motorcycle helmet law
that covers all riders in South Dakota could save lives and
prevent devastating and debilitating head injuries. Wearing
a motorcycle helmet reduces a rider’s risk of death by 29%
and nonfatal injury risk by 15%. On average, helmets cost
about $200 in South Dakota and prevent nearly $3,300 in
injury costs.
The estimates reported here were produced
under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Contract DTNH22-98-D-35079, Task Order 7.
Contact Information:
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)
11710 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300
Calverton, Maryland 20705-3102
301-755-2700
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