Alcohol interlocks cut drink drive deaths by 15%

A report published by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that US states that require alcohol interlocks for drink driving convictions are associated with 15% fewer alcohol-related crash deaths, compared with states with less stringent requirements.

The team used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 1999 to 2013. From 2004 to 2013, 18 US states made interlocks mandatory for all drink-driving convictions. They compared alcohol-involved crash deaths between 18 states with and 32 states without universal alcohol interlock requirements, accounting for state and year effects, and for clustering within states.

The report concludes that interlocks are a life-saving technology that merit wider use.

Download the report at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26985604