The Accuracy of Handheld Pre-Arrest Breath Test Instruments as a Predictor of the Evidential Breath Alcohol Test Results

• Nayak L. Polissar ^[2] ; Wassana Suwanvijit ^[1] ; Rod G. Gullberg ^[3]
  1. [1] Thaksin University

     Thaksin University

     Tailandia

     
  2. [2] The Mountain‐Whisper‐Light Statistics Seattle W
  3. [3] Clearview Statistical Consulting Snohomish WA

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• Localización: Journal of forensic sciences, ISSN-e 1556-4029, ISSN 0022-1198, Vol. 60, Nº. 2, 2015, págs. 482-487
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Drunk driving is a serious threat to public safety. All available and appropriate tools for curbing this threat should be employed to their full extent. The handheld pre-arrest breath test instrument (PBT) is one tool for identifying the alcohol-impaired driver and enforcing drunk driving legislation. A set of data was evaluated (n = 1779) where the PBT instrument was employed in drunk driving arrests to develop a multivariate predictive model. When maintained and operated by trained personnel, the PBT provides a reasonable estimate of the evidential test result within the relevant forensic range (95% prediction interval: +_ 0.003 g/210 L). ROC analysis shows that a multivariate model for PBT prediction of the evidentiary alcohol concentration above versus below the legal limit of 0.08 g/210 L has excellent performance with an AUC of 0.96. These results would be of value in evidential hearings seeking to admit the PBT results in drunk driving trials.