STUDY REVEALS TYPICAL REPEAT DRUNK DRIVER

They're likely to be single, white, less educated

Although it's a crime that cuts across demographic lines, repeat drunken
driving in Milwaukee County remains predominantly the province of single
white men with working-class jobs, experts say.

Chronic offenders are more likely to hail from south of I-94, from a
southern suburb rather than a northern one, and from outside the central
city, court data suggest.

And compared with one-time offenders, repeaters are likely to have less
education, more extensive family history of alcoholism, less stable job
histories, a lower tolerance for authority and more of a risk-taking
personality, according to a researcher studying repeat offenders
nationwide.

It's a troubled profile, with offenders often having multiple addictions,
according to John Hyatt, clinical director at the Milwaukee Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, which screens those convicted of drunken
driving in Milwaukee County for treatment needs.

About 30% of Milwaukee County's offenders assessed in 1996 were suspected
or confirmed alcohol or drug dependents, vs. 70% that more closely fit the
description of social drinkers, according to state Department of
Transportation figures.

Hyatt and others say that many repeaters will drink and drive despite
prosecution, although a combination of fines, license revocation, jail time
and treatment may reach some, he said.

"Their social conscience is not what it is for the rest of us," Hyatt said.

When first-timers are included, the Milwaukee County population of
drunken-driving convicts looks like this, based on the council's 1996
caseload:

 82% are male, 18% female.
 78% are white, 14% black, 6% Hispanic.
 Two-thirds never married or are divorced.
 High school education is typical.
 Average annual income: $21,900.
 Half are 21-35 years old.

William White, a drunken-driving researcher based in Bloomington, Ill., has
trained law enforcement officials in Wisconsin and throughout the country
in recognizing the different types of drunken drivers.

White said a first-time offender's blood-alcohol content is a good
indicator of whether the driver will repeat. If it's high -- more than
0.23% -- it likely means a repeat performance, he said. In Wisconsin and
many states, a 0.10% blood-alcohol content is legal evidence of
intoxication.

Repeat offenders are more likely to be arrested on a weekday than one-time
offenders, he said. And a history of domestic violence also is frequently
seen among chronic drunken drivers, White said.

The predominance of white offenders is related to who tends to abuse liquor
and perhaps to socioeconomic factors, given the comparative lack of
vehicles in many majority-black neighborhoods in the county, experts said.

"The majority of offenders continues to be under 30 years old, drinking at
a private club/bar/restaurant, on their way home, not discouraged from
driving, accompanied by people equally or more drunk, and not believing
they were too drunk to drive," reports a study of Madison drunken drivers
by the UW-Law School Resource Center on Impaired Driving.

There are hundreds of exceptions to the standard profile, experts caution,
including people with more wealth and relatively stable backgrounds.