FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS: RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

This paper presents some results of a three-year investigation of the reliability and validity of field sobriety tests. The three-part standardised field sobriety test (SFST) battery was used, consisting of: (1) walk-and-turn (WAT); (2) one-leg stand (OLS); (3) horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN). In the first year, 1990, only weak statistical associations were found between drivers' blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and their SFST performance. To examine possible explanations of these unexpected results, a special study was made during 1991 of the validity and reliability of all three SFSTs as BAC predictors. It was combined with the normal roadside sessions on five consecutive weekends, on the assumption that experts' performance in field settings would approximate the tests' fundamental validity. Inatter help to assess the longer-term effects of training on the reliability and validity of SFSTs. It concentrates on test validity. 361 drivers and 119 dosed subjects participated in the study. As the results at best offer mixed reviews of the effectiveness of the SFSTs, several alternative strategies are proposed for future sobriety studies. For the covering abstract see IRRD 866577.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/3824901315
• Corporate Authors:

  Verlag TUeV Rheinland

  Institut fuer Unfallforshung-Bericht
  Cologne,   Germany 
• Authors:
  • Perrine, M W
  • Foss, R D
  • MEYERS, A R
  • Voas, R B
  • VELEZ, C
• Conference:
  • International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety-T92, Proceedings of the 12th Conference.
  • Location: Cologne, Germany
  • Date: 1992-9-28 to 1992-10-2
• Publication Date: 1993

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 1133-8
• Monograph Title: ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND TRAFFIC SAFETY-T92. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Blood alcohol levels; Conferences; Evaluation and assessment; Intoxication; Test procedures
• ITRD Terms: 1553: Blood alcohol content; 8525: Conference; 2231: Drunkenness; 6440: Error; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 6288: Test method
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00670072
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 3824901315
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Dec 23 1994 12:00AM