Does license disqualification reduce reoffence rates?

A review was conducted of the subsequent driving records of over 25,000 Queensland drivers cited for a drink driving offence in 1988 who received at least one subsequent license restriction. The interval of follow-up was at least 3 years, average 3.9 years. Periods of driving disqualification were identified and, for each driver, the total amount of time during restricted and unrestricted driving was computed; the numbers of events, i.e. crashes and traffic offences, recorded during these periods were counted. Rates under disqualification and during legal driving, expressed per thousand person–years, were derived by dividing total numbers of events by total time during which they could occur. Three categories of traffic violation were considered: drink driving offences; traffic offences unassociated with drink driving; and any offence involving driving. Since only 12% of the offenders and 9% of the reoffenders were female, detailed analyses are presented for men only; results for women were little different. Statistical inference assumed a Poisson model for crashes and a negative binomial model for offences, and analyses were performed after stratification by number of drink driving offences. Calculated rates during periods of disqualification were about one-third of the rates during legal driving for crashes and all three categories of traffic offence, ranging from 25% in the case of unassociated offences to 35% for any driving offence. There were differences, some statistically significant, by age and between metropolitan, provincial city and rural regions of the State, but most were relatively minor. Drivers were apprehended more frequently earlier in the disqualification period than later. It is impossible from these data to distinguish between reduced driving levels and more cautious traffic behaviour during periods of license restriction. It is nonetheless clear that while such penalties are in operation, they substantially reduce the negative impact of convicted drink-drivers on the road. Unfortunately the data do not permit one to say whether or for how long the effect persists.