The NSW Sober Driver Program: recidivism rates and program parameters

The NSW Sober Driver Program: recidivism rates and program parameters Evalynn Mazurski1, Daya Withaneachi1 & Scott Kelly2 1Roads and Traffic Authority NSW 2Department of Corrective Services In NSW drink driving is a significant contributing factor to road trauma and is currently a factor in about 20% of fatal crashes. Additionally, in NSW each year around 18 per cent of convicted drink drivers have a previous drink driving conviction. The NSW Sober Driver Program (SDP) is a state-wide education and relapse prevention program for drink drivers convicted of two or more offences within five years. Using survival analyses, we report on recidivism over five and a half years among an initial cohort of SDP participants and a newer (2006-2007) cohort. The purpose of examining recidivism among the newer cohort was to establish whether the program impact continues. Examination of the newer cohort also allowed comparison of the nine week program with a recently introduced condensed version, with the same content delivered in three, rather than nine, sessions. The results indicated that, in relation to the comparison group, the program effect was maintained over five and a half years. The new cohort replicated the earlier effect and indicated that the SDP participants were 44 per cent less likely to re-offend than the comparison group. There were no significant differences in recidivism between SDP participants in the full or condensed versions. Given the impact of the program it is estimated that 50 additional re-offences are prevented per annum from program participation.