DOES TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE IMPROVE DRIVING SAFETY? A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION

There appears to be a growing consensus that rehabilative programs for convicted drivers can improve traffic safety outcomes. However, there is little evidence on the more general question of whether or not treatment for abuse of alcohol and other substances can reduce traffic safety risks. In order to provide some preliminary information on this question, we obtained driving record information on 137 males between the ages of 21 and 40 who underwent treatment for substance abuse at the Clinical Institute of the Addiction Research Foundation. About one third of the sample reported problems solely with alcohol, one third reported problems with alcohol and one other substance (cannabis, stimulants), and one third reported problems with one or two substances other than alcohol. Yearly rates of accidents, drinking-driving charges and moving violations were compared for the five years immediately preceding treatment entry and a post-treatment follow-up interval ranging from 6 to 36 months. The results demonstrated significant reductions on all three driving-related measures following treatment. Further analyses will explore whether different substances of abuse are associated with different outcomes. (a) For the record of the covering entry of this conference, please see IRRD abstract no 868581.