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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increased Police Patrols for Preventing Alcohol-Impaired Driving

About this resource:

Systematic Review

Source: The Cochrane Collaborative

Last Reviewed: October 2008

Workgroups: Substance Use Workgroup

In this Cochrane systematic review, the Cochrane Collaborative found that increased police patrols may reduce motor vehicle crashes and deaths related to drunk driving. However, researchers noted that the studies in the review were low quality, which means the available evidence does not clearly show that increased police patrols reduce the harmful outcomes of drunk driving.  Almost all programs in the studies also included other interventions, like community information programs, media campaigns, and special training for police officers.

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Objectives related to this resource (1)

Reduce the proportion of motor vehicle crash deaths that involve a drunk driver — SU‑11
Getting worse

Suggested Citation

1.

Goss, C.W., Van Bramer, L.D., Gliner, J.A., Porter, T.R., Roberts, I.G. & DiGuiseppi, C. (2008). Increased police patrols for preventing alcohol_impaired driving. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2008  (4). DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005242.pub2