Reader’s Question:

I wonder how police officers work in Los Angeles, California in finding out those who are driving under the influence. How do police officers detect drunk drivers on the road?

Liz

Los Angeles, CA

Building upon a previous research of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), researchers did some interview with officers from across the country and developed a list of more than 100 driving cues that have been found to predict blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. The list was later on reduced to 24 driving cues during three field studies involving hundreds of officers and more than 12,000 enforcement stops. The driving behaviors identified by the police officers are divided into four categories: problems in maintaining proper lane position, speed and braking problems, vigilance problems, and judgment problems.

The cues that are presented in the four categories predict that a driver is under the influence at least 35% of the time. For example, if a driver is weaving or weaving across lane lines, the probability of DUI is more than 50%. But if you observe any of the weaving cues and any other cue, the probability of DUI jumps to at least 65%. This is how police officers in Los, Angeles, California observe motorists to find out those who are driving under the influence.

Tags: DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer