Study confirms importance of coupling interlock programmes with rehabilitation courses

A new report has confirmed that alcohol interlock programmes are most effective at reducing recidivism when combined with rehabilitation programmes.

The study, published in Alcoholism: clinical & experimental research, found that in the 12-48 months following the removal of an alcohol interlock, recidivism by those drivers who had also followed an alcohol use disorder programme was 32% lower than those that had only used the interlock device.

The research was based on data from the U.S. state of Florida’s alcohol interlock programme.  The Florida state government requires drivers who have been required to fit an interlock to their vehicle to also follow a rehabilitation programme if they experience two consecutive ‘lockouts’ from their vehicle within four hours.

A study published earlier this year also found 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.

New from ETSC: Download our new guidelines for Member States on how to design an effective alcohol interlock programme.