It Is More Than Just Alcohol: A Criminological Perspective on Routine Drinking Activities, Opportunity, and Alcohol-Related Crashes

Abstract

This project expands on the “routine drinking activities” perspective by examining alcohol outlets, alcohol-related crashes, and theoretically derived contextual measures. Using census tract–level data from two U.S. cities, we draw on the prevention literature and routine activities theory to develop measures of alcohol availability and context. Spatially lagged regression models examined both direct and conditional relationships between alcohol outlets and alcohol-related crashes. Results indicate that the alcohol outlet and crash relationship was moderated by contextual factors (e.g., driving under the influence [DUI] enforcement and environmental hazards). Thus, alcohol availability may be just a part of a broader community system that affects the opportunity for alcohol-related crashes to occur.