Jennifer L. Yonkoski

Drinking and Driving: the Rise and Fall of a Social Problem Jennifer L. Yonkoski

In many countries around the world, drinking and driving has been considered a problematic behavior that can result in automobile crashes, injuries, and even deaths. In the 1980's, the United States saw the emergence of drunk driving as a social problem recognized by activists, the media, and finally, the general public. Since this time, interest in alcohol-impaired driving has waned as other social problems have captured the attention of the American public. The result of this can be demonstrated in statistics - although the 1980s saw dramatic declines in the number of alcohol-related deaths, these numbers have recently begun to stabilize or even show small increases. This book reviews the problem of drunk driving, with an emphasis on history and research, and presents a new analysis aimed at identifying those individual characteristics that predict intention to drink and drive in the future. Scholars interested in sociology and criminology, as well as those with a particular focus in drunk driving, may find this book especially useful.