The present study contends that legislative sanctions, regardless of severity, cannot sufficiently curb the drunken driver unless they are met with the concern of an equally sanctitive public (Formby and Smykla, 1984). The explicit goal of research presented here is to report the extent and power of peer sanction surrounding potential drinking and driving situations. This goal consists of the following components: (1) to discern whether individuals are at all inclined to attempt intervention in situations of potential drunken driving, and if so, to ascertain the types of intervention techniques attempted as well as intervention settings; (2) to determine which intervention techniques tend to produce the best (i.e. most preventive) results; and (3) to establish some demographic and social psychological characteristics of those who do and do not intervene. Data used in discussing these issues are gathered from a questionnaire administered to elements of a population known for frequent drinking practices--college students. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
