Perpetrators' and servers' responsibility and punishment for drunk-driving outcomes

Observers (N = 169) were presented written descriptions of alcohol-related motor vehicle incidents that varied according to severity of outcome, blood alcohol level (BAL) of the perpetrator, and prevailing road conditions. Observers made attributions of responsibility and recommendations for punishment for both perpetrator and alcohol server. Severity-dependent effects were obtained for perpetrators' punishment but relatively high levels of responsibility were assigned to the perpetrator across outcomes, and observers did not differentiate between accident and apprehension outcomes in attributing responsibility. BAL affected perpetrators' punishment but not responsibility, while adverse road conditions produced the opposite pattern of results. In general, relatively low levels of responsibility and punishment were assigned to the server, but both measures were influenced by road conditions, primarily at the intermediate BAL. The divergent findings for responsibility and punishment are discussed.