Performance measures of alcohol-induced impairment: towards a practical ignition-interlock system for motor vehicles

Performance-based alcohol screening devices may help reduce road traffic accidents, but there is a shortage of easy-to-use performance tests available. To address this issue, four recently developed rapid, computerized, easily implementable performance tests, Spiral for iPhone and Spiral for Mac (psychomotor tests), and the Modified Mental Rotation and Catch the Rabbit tests (cognitive tests), were assessed, testing participants at predrink baseline and then during three progressive amounts of alcohol intake. Analyses showed all tests were performed statistically significantly less accurately at 0.11% blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) than at 0.00% BAC, as were all tests except Spiral for iPhone at 0.06% BAC. These results indicate the suitability of all of these tests for measuring alcohol-induced impairment, and some potential for use as a practical performance-based alcohol screening device.