Responsibility.org, in partnership with Cambridge Health Alliance Division on Addiction, a Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital, developed the Computerized Assessment and Referral System (CARS), first launched in 2017. Now evolved into CARS Connect, this cloud‑based platform represents a significant advancement in efforts to prevent drunk and impaired driving.
Research shows that
44%
of repeat DUI offenders have a lifetime history of mental health disorders in addition to alcohol or drug use disorders.
CARS Connect is designed to help identify these disorders and connect the offenders with appropriate treatment.
When DUI offenders get the mental health diagnoses and treatment that they need, they are less likely to drive drunk again in the future.
It is accessible for broad use by individuals, clinicians, courts, probation departments, treatment providers, primary care physicians, emergency departments, and communities nationwide.
Access CARS Connect at www.carsconnect.org.
Access a one-page document showcasing CARS Connect as a solution to breaking the cycle of repeat DUIs. It includes a full rundown of what the tool offers, who should use it, and how to access it.
CARS Reference Materials
Explore research-based resources for judges and practitioners that informed the development of the CARS tool, beginning with new summaries focused on mental health and repeat DUI behavior here.
The CARS mental health assessment tool is based on the World Health Organization’s Composite International Diagnostic Interview (or CIDI)
A report summarizing the experiences of the pilot sites and providing recommendations for the original implementation of CARS is available here.
For more background information, access the original full synopsis of CARS or contact Chris Konschak, Senior Director, Traffic Safety and Government Relations, Responsibility.org at chris.konschak@responsibility.org.