ALCOHOL-IMPAIRMENT TESTS FOR DWI ARRESTS

A study undertaken to develop an improved battery of field tests of driver sobriety is discussed. In most states, 0.10 percent is the blood alcohol concentration at which a driver is presumed to be driving while intoxicated, but the mean blood alcohol concentration of arrested drivers is closer to 0.17 percent. This reflects the difficulty of the police officer's task. Tests for determining whether a motorist is driving while intoxicated and whether an arrest should be made must be sensitive to alcohol impairment and meet the severe constraints imposed by limited time and the characteristics of the roadside environment. Six types of tests were selected for evaluation based on the literature, field observations, and pilot studies. In a laboratory study, 10 police officers administered the tests to 238 participants at 0-0.15 percent levels of blood alcohol concentration. Based on analysis of the data, a battery of three tests was selected: one-leg stand, walk and turn, and alcohol gaze nystagmus. By using the police officers' scores for these three tests, it was possible to correctly classify 83 percent of the participants as above or below 0.10 percent blood alcohol concentration. (Authors)

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1979/739/739-001.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=ALCOHOL-IMPAIRMENT+TESTS+FOR+DWI+ARRESTS&author=M.+Burns&author=H.+Moskowitz&publication_year=1979
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Vehicle User Characteristics. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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• Authors:
  • Burns, Marcelline
  • Moskowitz, Herbert
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 1-4
• Monograph Title: DRIVER PERFORMANCE, PASSENGER SAFETY DEVICES, AND THE BICYCLIST
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 739
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol breath tests; Blood alcohol levels; Drivers; Drunk driving; Law enforcement; Pilot studies; Police
• Old TRIS Terms: Pilot study
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00315350
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309029953
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-029 539
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 16 1984 12:00AM