BREATH TESTING: THE BREATH OF LIFE

THE NORTH CAROLINA CHEMICAL TEST PROGRAM RESULTS SHOWED THAT 66 PERCENT OF THE DRIVERS TESTED HAD BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS OF 0.16 AND ABOVE. MOST OF THOSE CHARGED HAD CONSUMED AT LEAST SIX TO EIGHT MARTINIS OR BETWEEN A PINT AND A FIFTH OF WHISKEY IN THE THREE HOURS PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT. AS THE BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION ROSE, PROBABILITY OF AN ACCIDENT INCREASED LOGARITHMICALLY. DRIVERS WHOSE BREATH TESTS RULED OUT DRUNKENNESS WERE REFERRED FOR MEDICAL EVALUATION OF POSSIBLE PATHOLOGY WHICH EXHIBITS SIGNS SIMILAR TO INTOXICATION. THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF 1969, TRAFFIC FATALITIES WERE DOWN 10 PERCENT, LEADING MANY PEOPLE TO CONCLUDE THAT BREATH TESTING TRULY IS THE BREATH OF LIFE. /HSL/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 17, No 11, PP 7-10
• Authors:
  • Guy, E C
• Publication Date: 1969-11

Media Info

• Serial:
  • TRAFFIC DIGEST AND REVIEW
  • Publisher: Northwestern University, Evanston

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol breath tests; Blood alcohol levels; Crash causes; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; High risk drivers; Traffic crashes
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223154
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 19 1970 12:00AM