A system dynamics computer simulation model of New York States impaired driving system

Rod MacDonald 

Abstract

Drinking and driving continues to be a problem that plagues the U.S.  Last year there were 
just under 12 thousand people killed in alcohol related crashes in the United States.  
In New York State, in 2007, there were 373 people killed in alcohol related crashes.  
In order to address this problem the NYS Legislature passed stricter drunk driving laws 
aimed at those considered hard-core drunk drivers, i.e. drivers with high blood alcohol 
content (BAC above .18).  In order to gain an understanding about the implications of this 
new law, before it went fully into effect, the NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee 
commissioned the development of a system dynamics computer simulation model to examine 
the implications of this new law.  The talk will examine the process of model development, 
acceptance and use.