Maui Police Department Purchase
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HAWAII |
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
As part of concentrated effort to reduce
the number of alcohol-related fatal traffic crashes in Maui County, Hawaii,
the Maui Police Department has increased enforcement of impaired driving
laws. Sobriety checkpoints are conducted regularly, along with additional
highway patrols on weekends. When police officers stop a suspected drunk
motorist, they complete a series of observations and procedures to detect
whether or not the driver is impaired. Once probable cause for impairment
has been determined, officers ask the driver to perform the Standardized
Field Sobriety Tests (SFST). These tests include the Walk and Turn test,
One- Leg Stand test and Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus. If a suspected impaired
driver has an injury or physical disability that would affect their performance
on the SFST battery, the One Leg Stand and Walk and Turn tests are not performed.
The inability of the suspect to perform these tests hampers the officer's
ability to accurately determine blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels
in motorists at or close to the legal per se level of .08. In some cases,
a suspect could be arrested for impaired driving despite having a BAC within
the legal limit.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Maui Police Department's Purchase of Preliminary Breath
Testers (PBTs) is to provide police officers with an accurate alternative
means for conducting sobriety testing on injured or disabled suspects. Specifically,
Maui police sought to purchase five Preliminary Breath Testers (PBTs). Use
of PBTs at sobriety checkpoints provide guidance on how to properly handle
a motorist suspected of driving while impaired—whether to arrest or
release the suspect. The PBT is particularly useful in determining the BAC
in borderline cases—those close to the legal limit of .08.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 1996, the Maui Police Department purchased six new PBTs and a small printer
with cable hookup for direct attachment to the testing units. Using the
direct hookup to the printer, police officials were able to track the number
of preliminary breath tests conducted, and the calibration requirements
for each PBT device.
During 1996, the Maui police used the PBT devices in 296 arrests for impaired driving. Of this total, 58 arrestees indicated BAC readings of between .08 and .10 in the PBT test. When retested at police headquarters using the more accurate intoxilyzer test, only 4 of the 58 motorists indicated blood alcohol readings of less than .08 BAC.
The PBT units are very successful in providing
guidance to the Maui police in deciding whether or not to detain motorists
who have been drinking, but who may not necessarily be legally impaired.
In some cases, police officers require motorists who test close to .08 BAC
to get another driver.
| RESULTS Maui police officers have greatly enhanced their ability to accurately determine whether or not a motorist is legally impaired through use of the PBT devices. The devices are especially valuable in borderline cases, in which the motorist is close to the .08 BAC limit, but not necessarily legally impaired. In 1996, the percentage of alcohol-related crash fatalities in Maui County decreased by 19 percent over 1995; from 68.8 percent to 55.6 percent. This decrease was due in large part to the use of PBT testing at sobriety checkpoints. |
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| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Winter 1998 |