EVALUATION OF LOWER BAC LIMITS FOR CONVICTED OUI OFFENDERS IN MAINE

This is the final report of a project evaluating the effectiveness of a lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for drivers convicted of operating under the influence of intoxicants (OUI) in Maine. The law made it illegal for an OUI offender to drive with any amount of alcohol in the blood. The evaluation included a process evaluation of the law's effect on the State's traffic law enforcement efforts, and an impact evaluation of the law's effect on OUI recidivism and traffic crashes. The study found the law had little or no burdensome effect on OUI enforcement processes or resource requirements, but contributed to a reduction of convicted OUI offenders in fatal crashes in general, and in alcohol-related fatal crashes in particular.