What we know about offenders who drive under the influence: Analysis of court case file reviews

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a quantitative study about alcohol-impaired drivers in Utah. The University of Utah's Social Research Institute conducted a retrospective case file evaluation about the adjudication and sanctioning phases associated with driving under the influence (DUI) to determine Utah's response to DUI crime from arrest forward. Although Utah driver's license and court systems are on the cutting edge of dealing with DUI offenders, we found a variety of limitations for analysis due to data collection and entry. Therefore, it is difficult to develop a thorough understanding about the process of dealing with DUI offenders and the effectiveness of court actions and treatments. The purpose of this paper is to provide recommendations about how to ensure more accurate data collection about impaired drivers.