ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 6

Blood Alcohol Concentrations in Drinking Drivers in Tucson, Arizona, 1967–1971
Kempe, CR
City-County Crime Laboratory, Ariz.

(Received 26 April 1972; accepted 13 June 1972)

Abstract

The literature contains a number of reports on alcohol as a factor in fatal collisions [1–4]. It is my experience that many of those who have been involved in collisions had blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) which exceeded the recently adopted standard of 0.10 percent weight/volume as a presumptive limit currently on the statute books in many states. A detailed study was started following an inquiry from a state agency relative to BAC's found to be below the 0.15 percent weight/volume presumptive limit then existing in Arizona. In this state there were no readily available statistics dealing with the range of BAC's found in tested drivers such as has been provided by Bradford [5]. Tucson is an ideal place to extend such information since the City-County Crime Laboratory administers blood and breath tests in connection with all matters possibly involving alcohol and traffic, including all accident cases with or without injury or fatality. In this study the experience of five years (1967 through 1971) in metropolitan Tucson was examined. Certain consistencies were revealed relating to the BAC's and their frequencies.

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Paper ID: JFS10150J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS10150J
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