Liability, Risk Perceptions, and Precautions at Bars
Posted: 31 Aug 2000
Abstract
Are state laws, regulatory practices and allocation of public resources for enforcement reflected in perceptions by bar owners/managers that they will be cited or sued if they fail to exercise care? Among various types of policies, which ones have the greatest impact on risk perceptions and, in turn, on such behaviors? We used data collected in a national survey of bar owners/managers, surveys of state Alcoholic Beverage Control boards, and of police departments located in the same areas as the bars to determine risk perceptions of bar owners/managers of threats of being sued or cited if they were to serve obviously intoxicated adults or minors. Overall, we found that many of the laws, regulations, and public policies relate systematically to risk perceptions of bar owners/managers. This is particularly true of tort. Precautionary measures were more likely to be taken by owners/managers when the risk was perceived to be high.
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