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The use of alcohol interlocks for DUI offenders is widespread around the world. in North America and Australia alcohol interlocks are core elements in the countermeasure system against DUI recidivism. Based on a European experience exchange hosted by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) in October 2013, key features of European alcohol interlock programmes are illustrated. In addition, key findings from international alcohol interlock research are presented. They point towards a need for an accompanying rehabilitative measure in order to achieve long-lasting behavioural changes in the offender. Data from the interlock recorder can be used as predictor for recidivism risk, but also as objective data to aid counselling. Finally, an example of an accompanying rehabilitative measure, which was specifically developed for interlock programmes within a BASt project, is given.
This study was one part of the research activities of work package 5 "Rehabilitation" of the integrated EU DRUID project (6th Framework Programme). It aimed at gathering information about the cognitive"affective and behavioral processes that participants undergo while attending driver rehabilitation (DR) programs. The primary objective was to analyze the outcomes of group interventions for alcohol offenders in order to assess any cognitive, motivational and behavioral modifications within individual participants and to identify the relevant variables which initiate and support this change process. The general methodological concept of the study was a prospective cohort design of participants of group-based European driver rehabilitation programs, carried out via a participant feedback questionnaire survey. In total N=7.339 DUI offenders in 9 European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands and Poland) participated in the survey. The results indicate that DR participants feel such programs provide strong support for their cognitive and behavioral change processes. The findings suggest that participants feel encouraged to establish new behavioral goals and the commitment to stick to them. At the same time, the participants' ratings emphasize the important role of the course leader in encouraging such changes. The findings of this explorative questionnaire survey are promising. Although it is impossible to draw any conclusions regarding long-term behavioral changes or effects on recidivism rates, participants of DR courses express positive feedback on completion of the program. The positive outcomes of the study can motivate decisionmakers to launch DR measures and to regard them as an essential part of a comprehensive countermeasure system against DUI.