The Social Characteristics of Persons Arrested for Driving while Intoxicated

Abstract

Of the 1145 (11.6% women) drivers arrested for driving while intoxicated (adwi) within Santa Clara County, Calif., and the 573 (5.4% women) in Columbus, Ohio, during the first 6 months of 1962, about one-third were involved in automobile accidents. The median blood alcohol concentration (bac) of the Santa Clara adwi was 0.23%; the median urine alcohol concentration (uac) of Columbus adwi was 0.28%. When the uacs are converted to bacs the alcohol concentrations in the two samples are similar. The median age of the Santa Clara men was 37.3, of women 39.8; in Columbus, 37.9 and 40.4, respectively. The percentage of adwi with above-average alcohol concentrations increased sharply until age 35–39 in Santa Clara and age 30–34 in Columbus, but percentage of adwi involved in accidents varied little with age. Vulnerability to arrest of residents of Santa Clara was highest among men aged 21–54, and among men aged 25–54 in Franklin County (Columbus metropolitan area). Men from disadvantaged ethnic groups (Spanish Americans in Santa Clara and Negroes in Franklin County) were at least twice as vulnerable to arrest as other men, and considerably more arrest vulnerable in all age groups between 20 and 64. Male unemployment was several times as high among adwi as among men in the 1960 Census population (data available only for Santa Clara). Since the percentage of adwi involved in accidents and with above-average alcohol concentrations was not lower among Negroes, Spanish Americans or unemployed men than among others, it is suggested that police bias was negligible in both jurisdictions. In both counties a greater vulnerability to arrest was prevalent among men aged 25–54 living in census tracts with low socioeconomic status (as measured by low occupational and educational status, low percentage of home ownership and a high percentage of unemployed, children under 18 not living with both parents and Negroes or Spanish Americans), despite the fact that such households are less likely to have access to cars. It is concluded that those arrested for drunken driving differ in demographic characteristics from the general population. The concept of alienation, used in juvenile delinquency studies to evaluate findings similar to the present ones, is presented as an interpretive aid. Other studies, which show that many drunken drivers are alcoholics, are discussed. The age, economic and familial characteristics of problem drinkers in different situational contexts are compared. [Bibliography of 69 items.]