Does the type of exposure to a roadside sobriety checkpoint influence driver perceptions regarding drunk driving?
OBJECTIVES: To determine if the type of exposure to roadside sobriety checkpoints is related to vulnerability of being stopped by the police for drinking and driving. METHODS: Random household telephone surveys were conducted over 3 years. RESULTS: Personally exposed drivers had lower perceptions of vulnerability than did drivers who knew a family member who had been stopped. Exposed drivers who also had a family member and an acquaintance that had been stopped had higher perceptions of vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: Direct exposure to a checkpoint appears to lower perceptions of risk than if one has had only indirect exposure (ie, family or friends).
