CHARACTERISTICS OF ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVERS

This paper reports on data collected in 77 local and one national roadside breathtesting surveys. Overall one eighth of the 74,67 nighttime drivers tested had BACs of 0.05% or more, and this proportion increased substantially in the early morning hours. Analysis of some characteristics of these alcohol-impaired drivers showed that they are disproportionately likely to be male, divorced, black, in their thirties, of low socioeconomic status, heavy drinkers, and traveling from a bar or tavern. However, all kinds of motorists sometimes drive after excessive consumption of alcohol and auto designers should take this into account in trying to develop control systems which will minimize the chances of error by drivers who have had too much to drink. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper presented at the Automobile Engineering Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, October 13-17, 1975.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Wolfe, A C
• Publication Date: 1975-10

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 26 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol breath tests; Blood alcohol levels; Drivers; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Human characteristics; Vehicle design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver characteristics
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00141981
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 750878 Conf Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 17 1977 12:00AM