It examined those who had been rearrested after being in attendance for a victim impact statement program and compared them to those who had been rearrested but had never been exposed to a victim impact statement program.
The study concluded that those who had been exposed to a victim impact statement with regard to their offense had a lower rearrest rate than those who had not heard victim impact statements.
The study examined the results of those who did not receive victim impact statements and found that legal punishment was often the only consequence of driving while under the influence (Rojek, 1999).
By contrast, VIPs address the emotional component of the DUI offender's cognitive perspective by exposing him/her to the pain or suffering caused by drunk driving. The dramatic presentations of panel members (usually three to five persons) who had been victimized by a drunken driver have been shown to influence behavioral intentions and, in some cases, drunk driving behavior (Rojek, 1999)."
INTERNATIONAL
In looking at the impact of drinking and driving in America it is important to compare it to other nations.
In Great Britain 26% of traffic fatalities are caused by drunk drivers, while Ontario, Canada has more than 12,000 drunk driving incidents each year.
Overall statistics indicate that the European incidence of fatalities due to drunk driving is 20% with numbers in the U.S. quickly approaching 40% (Newaz, 2006).
American employers lose a total of nine billion dollars annually as a direct result of employers being involved with drunk driving incidences.
The United States is the only nation on earth that uses field sobriety tests to prove someone has been driving while impaired though research indicates that the tests do not conclusively prove or disprove intoxication.
Given the drawbacks of field sobriety tests, including reliance "on subjective definitions of impairment... making the arrest and successful prosecution of inebriated drivers difficult," the United States has much to learn from the international community regarding how to effectively and fairly regulate the incidence of drunk driving (Newaz, 2006)."
CONCLUSION
The problem of drunk driving is two fold. It must involved law enforcement as well societal pressures so that the person thinks twice before drinking and getting behind the wheel.
Law enforcement officers continue to enforce the laws and become frustrated...
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