RESUMEN
This study provided a consolidated evaluation of four separate demonstration projects aimed at reducing impaired driving through well-publicized enforcement. Each of the four demonstration projects used different enforcement approaches in an effort to reduce impaired driving crashes in the State. Georgia experienced a significant decrease in drinking-and-driving fatal crashes (14 percent using a ratio measure in a time series analysis). The program in Georgia (2800 checkpoints) saved an estimated 60 lives in the first year. While Louisiana experienced a raw decrease in the ratio of drinking drivers to nondrinking drivers in fatal crashes, when the control parishes and the comparison States were taken into consideration, the apparent decrease was neutralized. Although Pennsylvania's selected counties showed relative decreases across a variety of measures when compared to control counties and surrounding States, these decreases were not significant. In Tennessee, the ratio measure showed a significant decrease (-10.6 percent) compared to surrounding States with an estimated 43 lives saved in the first year. In summary, it appears that if States use a sobriety checkpoint model that includes (a) a statewide effort, (b) numerous sobriety checkpoints conducted each weekend throughout the year, (c) intensive publicity about the enforcement, and (d) properly trained law enforcement officials, significant decreases in impaired driving fatalities can be realized.
Asunto(s)
Intoxicación Alcohólica , Conducción de Automóvil/legislación & jurisprudencia , Humanos , Entrevistas como Asunto , Proyectos Piloto , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
The legal limits of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for operators of commercial vehicles throughout the United States, and underage drivers in most states, are approximately half the 0.08-0.10% imposed on other drivers. Easily administered measures involving performance and appearance are needed to establish probable cause for requesting breath tests. Several measures showing relationships to blood alcohol were examined for their ability to distinguish BACs under and over 0.04% within the 0.00-0.08% range. Measures of heat loss. pupillary response, balance, complex tasks, and accuracy under speed were studied in controlled experiments with alcohol-dosed subjects. The only reliable index of blood alcohol was horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) as administered in the standardized field sobriety test (SFST), using alternative scoring criteria. Although other measures evidenced intra-individual change at low BACs, the magnitude of change was greatly exceeded by inter-individual differences, thwarting their use in detecting drivers with BACs lower than 0.08%. HGN, however, proved as valid in detecting BACs in the 0.04-0.08% range as at the higher levels of the SFST. It is also as valid when administered to a seated subject as one standing, making it of particular benefit in enforcement, where the behavior of low BAC drivers rarely provides probable cause to request that they leave a vehicle to be tested in a standing position.