NCJ Number
139633
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 40 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1992) Pages: 69-74
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Police officers who rely only on classic symptoms of alcohol impaired driving to locate offenders will not locate many drivers whose blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels are over the legal limit.
Abstract
In Utah, for example, police officers have a history of emphasizing vigorous arrest and prosecution of alcohol impaired drivers. No attempt has been made, however, to establish a prearrest breath test law or policy, and significant use of a passive alcohol sensor is just beginning. Although the Utah Highway Safety Division compiles annual statistical data on the total number of drunk driver arrests, no attempt has been made to differentiate between accident and nonaccident arrests or to scientifically assess local and regional variations in drunk driver enforcement efforts. A study conducted by the Utah Highway Patrol to measure driving under the influence arrest efforts involved the collection of nonaccident arrest data from breath testing logs for 17 areas across the State. Four different enforcement patterns emerged: high nonaccident test rates/low BAC test means; high nonaccident test rates/high BAC test means; low nonaccident test rates/high BAC test means; and low nonaccident test rates/low BAC test means. Study findings suggest that arrest activity should be analyzed in terms of local police work groups rather than in terms of an entire State or region. 3 tables