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NORC at the University Chicago

State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort

A policewoman taking a statement from a civilian outside her patrol car
Evaluating the impact of an impaired driving enforcement strategy in Maryland
  • Client
    Maryland Highway Safety Office
  • Dates
    May 2016 – August 2017

Challenge

Maryland wanted to understand the impact of its State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE) program.

Alcohol-impaired driving is a significant factor in fatal and serious injury-producing crashes in the United States and many other countries. In 2013, the State of Maryland implemented an anti-driving-under-the-influence (DUI) enforcement program called the State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE). This enforcement effort consisted of a select team of seven police officers from the Maryland State Police who engaged in high intensity DUI enforcement. The Maryland Highway Safety Office, a division of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, was looking to evaluate the impact of the SPIDRE program on impaired driving crashes, DUI arrests, DUI adjudicative outcomes, and public perceptions of DUI enforcement in Maryland.

Solution

NORC evaluated and compared DUI data in SPIDRE and non-SPIDRE counties.

Working together, NORC and the University of Maryland created an evaluation program that assessed data from alcohol-related crashes, arrests, and convictions of those arrested, along with data obtained from public opinion and bar patron surveys, to compare counties where the SPIDRE program operated and non-SPIDRE counties where the program did not operate. The evaluation period extended from 2010 to 2016 in monthly intervals. 

Result

Special State Police troops dedicated to DUI enforcement appear to be effective.

In counties where the SPIDRE team operated, the DUI arrests made by the SPIDRE team resulted in a significantly higher rate of conviction outcomes than arrests made by non-SPIDRE officers. The SPIDRE program appeared able to prevent a downward trend in DUI arrests that the rest of the state experienced and achieved higher quality arrests resulting in more conviction outcomes. There was no evidence that the public was more aware of DUI enforcement efforts in the SPIDRE counties than in the non-SPIDRE counties.

The SPIDRE program had a modest impact on DUI in Maryland and could have an even greater effect with modifications. The increase in DUI arrests and the decrease in Single Vehicle Nighttime (SVN) crashes indicate a positive benefit/cost. However, better publicity, increased visibility, and a longer duration of DUI enforcement in any given county would most likely increase the program’s impact.

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