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Title:

Development of Sobriety Tests for the Marine Environment

Accession Number:

01334487

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States
Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/166071.aspx

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Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780309167338

Abstract:

Six seated tests were evaluated in the laboratory to determine whether they would be feasible for use on the water as sobriety tests to measure impairment from alcohol at blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of ≥0.08%. The standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) currently used at roadside are not suitable for the marine environment; marine law enforcement officers are left with insufficient methods to assess impairment on the water. One hundred fifty-seven participants were randomly assigned to a BAC group: 0.00%, 0.04%, 0.08%, and 0.12%. Six tests were administered to the participants by experienced law enforcement officers. Neither the testers nor the participants were privy to the participants’ BACs. A variable called BAC status (N = 138) was obtained by dividing the average BAC into two groups: BAC < 0.08% and BAC ≥ 0.08%. A combination of four tests—horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN), finger to nose (FTN), palm pat (PP), and hand coordination (HC)—correctly classified 82% of the BACs ≥0.08% and 67% of the BACs <0.08%, for an overall percentage correct of 72%. Four individual tests also predicted BAC status: HGN, FTN, PP, and HC. Four tests in combination and individually discriminated BAC status, although the overall percentages of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the tests were below what was typically reported in literature on the roadside SFSTs. With the proper refinements, the four tests may assist marine officers with assessments of alcohol-related impairment in recreational boaters.

Monograph Accession #:

01353535

Report/Paper Numbers:

11-1464

Language:

English

Authors:

Fiorentino, Dary D
Dietel, Bergetta M
Jimenez, Dulcemonica D

Pagination:

pp 85-89

Publication Date:

2011

Serial:

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Issue Number: 2222
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
ISSN: 0361-1981

ISBN:

9780309167338

Media Type:

Print

Features:

References (11) ; Tables (3)

Uncontrolled Terms:

Test reliability

Subject Areas:

Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Feb 17 2011 5:49PM

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