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Hit-and-run crashes, particularly during nighttime hours, provide an indirect measure of the incidence of drinking and driving; it is well-known to law enforcement that many drivers flee the scene of a nighttime crash to conceal their alcohol-impairment. Figure 2 presents the numbers of nighttime hit and run crashes (in the two states for which data are available) during the six-month periods following the beginning of enforcement of the states’ conforming laws, compared to data from the same six-month periods in the previous year.8 The figure shows that the numbers of hit-and-run crashes declined in both states during the first six months after enforcement of their conforming laws began, compared to the same six-month periods one year earlier. Chi Square tests found the difference to be statistically significant for Maine, but not for South Dakota (p= 0.05).
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