The problem of suspended and revoked drivers who avoid detection at checkpoints

Although driver license suspension and revocation have been shown to improve traffic safety, suspended or revoked (SR) drivers who continue to drive-which appears to be the majority-are about 3 times more likely to be involved in crashes and to cause a fatal crash. In California and many other U.S. states, drivers are typically mailed notices requesting that they surrender their licenses when they are SR for reasons other than driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), yet they frequently do not comply. Typical procedures at DUI checkpoints in California and other U.S. states include inspecting driver licenses and checking for signs of intoxication during brief contacts with law enforcement officers. Hence, these checkpoints are in fact DUI/license checkpoints in California and many other states. The purpose of this study was to estimate the extent to which SR drivers avoid being detected at DUI/license checkpoints for SR driving, because they illegally retained possession of their license cards.

Law enforcement officers used electronic license card readers at DUI/license checkpoints in Sacramento, California, to record data for 13,705 drivers. The SR status of all contacted drivers was determined after the checkpoints and compared to law enforcement citation records from the checkpoints.

Although only 3% of the drivers contacted at the checkpoints were SR, about 41% of SR drivers were able to pass through undetected because they presented license cards that they illegally retained. Drivers SR for DUI-related reasons were more likely to be detected, whereas those SR for failure to provide proof of financial responsibility (insurance) were less likely to be detected.

The fact that many SR drivers are able to pass through DUI/license checkpoints undetected weakens both the specific and general impacts of checkpoints for deterring SR driving and may diminish the effectiveness of suspension and revocation actions for reducing the crash risk posed by problem drivers. Using license card readers that can quickly identify SR drivers in real time during routine traffic stops and at DUI/license checkpoints warrants further consideration.