In the Dutch TV programme "Blik op de weg" ("Eyes on the Road") in March 2000, an `experiment' was carried out with one beer-drinking subject. The `experiment' results created widespread doubt as to the reliability of breath testing devices that the police use for screening and evidential purposes, as well as to the current legal limit adequacy. This report gives an account of measurements among a larger number of subjects of both sexes and of different body weights, in order to demonstrate the metabolism of alcohol in the human body. The subjects received 72 grams of pure alcohol to drink. This quantity and the drinking speed were comparable with those of the "Eyes on the Road" experiment. The measurements of these eighteen subjects demonstrated that the result of this experiment was not representative for the average Dutch car driver. An hour after the subjects had stopped drinking, their breath alcohol content (BrAC) level varied greatly, especially in correlation with their sex and body weight. The SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research demonstration results were related to the sex and weight distribution of the Dutch population of 18 years and older. This showed that 80-85% of the adult population, if driving shortly after drinking 72 grams of pure alcohol, would have to be prosecuted. The SWOV demonstration was unable to determine absolutely the reliability of the police's breath testing devices. However, an impression was gained of the extent to which the screening devices were able to justly select those drivers who should be prosecuted. In addition, a literature study was conducted into the effects of various alcohol concentrations on the driving task and accident risk.
Abstract