OPERATIONAL EVALUATION OF COURT PROCEDURES FOR IDENTIFYING PROBLEM-DRINKING DRIVERS

The purpose of the project was to obtain information on the operational effectiveness of a questionnaire and interview procedure, previously developed by HSRI, for identifying problem drinkers. In the present study, cooperation was obtained from 12 Alcohol Safety Action Projects in which the HSRI procedures were used. In order to obtain information on the statistical effectiveness of the procedures in discriminating between problem drinking drivers and others, among DWI defendants, responses from 709 drivers, in three ASAPs were analyzed. Scores on the questionnaire and interview protocol were compared against an objective criterion consisting of BAC at time of arrest and number of previous DWI and other alcohol offenses. The procedures were found to have good validity and reliability. The analyses indicated that revisions to the previously recommended cut-off scores are needed when used with DWI defendants, to maximize the discriminability between problem and non-problem drinkers. Users of the procedures were surveyed to obtained their judgments of the usefulness of the questionnaire and interview; the procedures were generally well received. Based on comments received, some questionnaire items were reworded.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  801 Green Bay Road
  Lake Bluff, IL  United States  60044

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  1211 West 22nd Street
  Oak Brook, IL  United States  60523
• Authors:
  • Filkins, L D
  • Post, D V
• Conference:
  • 18th Annual Conference of the American Association for Automotive Medicine
  • Location: Toronto Ontario, Canada
  • Date: 1974-9-12 to 1974-9-14
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17 p.
• Serial:
  • Volume: 18

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Blood alcohol levels; Courts; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Interviewing; Legal factors; Problem drivers; Questionnaires
• Identifier Terms: Alcohol Safety Action Program
• Old TRIS Terms: Asap (Alcohol safety action program)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00081246
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Contract Numbers: DOT-HS-047-1-063, DOT-HS-031-2-303, DOT-FH-11-7526
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 26 1975 12:00AM