| Title | Breath Measurement Instrumentation as Alcohol Safety Interlock Systems |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 25386 |
| Personal Name Creator |
Bray, Kenneth J.; Huntley, M. Stephen, Jr. |
| Source | 1 v. (unpaged) : ill. |
| Corporate Contributor |
United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Driver and Pedestrian Research; John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.) |
| Publisher | Transportation Systems Center |
| Publication Date | 19740900 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | This report describes the results of field tests of in-car instruments which measure alcohol on the driver's breath and prevent him from operating his vehicle if intoxicated. Two types of breath alcohol sensors were used for these tests; a fuel-cell type developed by TSC, and a semiconductor type from the Borg-Warner Corporation. Eight vehicles were equipped with the breath measurement and instrumentation and given to volunteer subjects. Subjects returned to TSC weekly to allow calibration checks of the instrumentation, determination of their reaction to the devices and discussion of any attempts to circumvent the breath test interlock. The results of the field test indicate that breath measurement interlocks are basically feasible, but that more engineering effort needs to be expended to advance the alcohol sensor technology required for the production of sensors with uniform and predictable characteristics. The utility of currently available sensors is limited by erratic calibration drift. The field test also indicates circumvention to be a major problem and solutions to the problem do not appear to be cost effective. |
| Rosap ID | dot:1127 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1127 |
| TRT Terms | Alcohol breath tests; Alcohol ignition interlock devices; Drunk driving; Equipment tests; Field tests; Human subject testing |
| General Subjects | Impaired driving, Alcohol |
| Classification | NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY; NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Highway Safety; NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Human Factors |
| Geographical Coverage |
United States |
| TRIS Online Accession No |
1082934 |
| Report Number | DOT-HS 506/R5403 |
| Availability | NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research; Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center |
| Resource type | Research Paper |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/25000/25300/25386/DOT-HS-EPX-009.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |