Road Safety

This study addressed aspects of the ongoing drink-driving problem in rural areas of Australia, and further developed a recent theoretical account of the decision-making processes that might underlie the effect of enforcement on behaviour. The study focused on a comparison of three enforcement techniques trialed in two rural towns - a covert breath testing program; an overt, highly visible breath testing program; and a mixed operation - using a repeated-measures design with surveys in the two enforcement towns and in two, similar, control towns. The results suggested that hotel patrons were aware of the increase in enforcement activity, but that there were no changes in the perceived risk of detection for drink driving or self-reported behaviour. These results were confirmed by an independent series of random-number telephone interviews. Additional analyses were undertaken better to understand the pattern of results in the survey, and to assess aspects of the decision-making process as it relates to drink driving. The results of these analyses were used as the basis for a discussion of future research, enforcement strategies, and public education programs.