HOW DUI WAS RESEARCHED

The Tulsa World conducted a great deal of research for the four-party
series, "Drunk Driving: A Sobering Look."

Tulsa World Assistant City Editor David Fallis spent about six months
investigating the issue of drunk driving.

Fallis joined the World six years ago as a police reporter. A graduate of
the University of Oklahoma, he began his journalism career at The Tulsa
Tribune and has won numerous awards for his investigative work.

The study, in part, analyzed the following records:

More than 50,000 computerized district court records since 1988 from Tulsa,
Oklahoma and Cleveland counties.

Cumulative, computerized conviction data from the Oklahoma Administrative
Office of the Courts.

Department of Corrections records for nearly 4,000 drunk-driving convicts.

Department of Public Safety crash and accident data.

Entire driving histories and criminal case files for selected drivers.

State Medical Examiner's Office results of blood-alcohol tests in fatal
crashes since 1987.

Computerized records were organized into databases, which were carefully
analyzed and compared with other databases.

For example, datasets of drunk-driving convicts were compared to datasets of
those convicted of manslaughter to pinpoint chronic drunk drivers who had
drunk-driving convictions before and after fatal crashes.

When possible, drunk drivers and their victims were contacted. In all, more
than 60 interviews were conducted.

Ashli Simms, former Tulsa World intern, assisted with research.

David Fallis can be reached at 581-8338.

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst