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A perverse effect of lowering the threshold blood alcohol content

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  • Richard Guy Cox

Abstract

Recent legislation in the USA encourages states to lower the legal threshold for drunk driving blood alcohol content. The intention of such legislation is to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities associated with drunk driving. This note shows that lowering the threshold blood alcohol content has an ambiguous impact on the incidence of drunk driving accidents and will not reduce the number of drunk drivers with blood alcohol content above a previous threshold. The formal analysis serves to encourage further empirical research in this area.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Guy Cox, 2006. "A perverse effect of lowering the threshold blood alcohol content," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(13), pages 869-871.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:apeclt:v:13:y:2006:i:13:p:869-871
    DOI: 10.1080/13504850500425428
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ruhm, Christopher J., 1996. "Alcohol policies and highway vehicle fatalities," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 435-454, August.
    2. Mullahy, John & Sindelar, Jody L, 1994. "Do Drinkers Know When to Say When? An Empirical Analysis of Drunk Driving," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 32(3), pages 383-394, July.
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    4. Daniel Eisenberg, 2003. "Evaluating the effectiveness of policies related to drunk driving," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 249-274.
    5. Hingson, R. & Heeren, T. & Winter, M., 1996. "Lowering state legal blood alcohol limits to 0.08%: The effect on fatal motor vehicle crashes," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 86(9), pages 1297-1299.
    6. Thomas S Dee, 2001. "Does setting limits save lives? The case of 0.08 BAC laws," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(1), pages 111-128.
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    Cited by:

    1. Darren Grant, 2010. "Dead On Arrival: Zero Tolerance Laws Don'T Work," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(3), pages 756-770, July.
    2. Hjalmarsson Randi & Lindquist Matthew J., 2010. "Driving Under the Influence of Our Fathers," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Grant, Darren, 2016. "A structural analysis of U.S. drunk driving policy," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 14-22.

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