Drinking drivers missed at sobriety checkpoints
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 1, 2026

Driving Under the Influence: How Music Listening Affects Driving Behaviors
Published on: March 27, 2019
J K Wells1, M A Greene, R D Foss
1Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Arlington, Virginia 22201, USA.
Objective:
Sobriety checkpoints are an effective deterrent to alcohol-impaired driving although a substantial proportion of drinking drivers who pass through checkpoints are missed. The present study was designed to determine the extent to which police officers correctly identify individuals with blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.05% at checkpoints, and if there are characteristics of drivers, vehicles or checkpoints that are associated with decreased chances of detection.
Method:
To determine which drivers are likely to be missed, drivers not detained by police for additional sobriety evaluation were interviewed and voluntary breath samples were provided at 156 sobriety checkpoints in North Carolina.
Results:
More than 50% of the drivers with BACs in excess of 0.08% and almost 90% of drivers with BACs in excess of 0.05% were not detained by officers. For drivers with BACs of 0.05% or higher, women and those 35 or younger were more likely to be missed than were men and older drivers. Drivers without passengers were more likely to be missed than those with passengers. Drivers were also more likely to be missed during weekend checkpoints. Similar results were found for drivers with BACs at or above 0.08%.
Conclusions:
Alerting police officers to characteristics of drinking drivers more likely to be missed may improve detection rates. In addition, passive alcohol sensors could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of sobriety checkpoints in detecting drinking drivers.
Related Concept Videos
Protection of Alcohols
Protection
It defines a protecting group as the masking agent to make the more reactive species inert to a given set of conditions. This concept is depicted via the illustration of liquid flow through different outlets in an assembly of pipes. The analogy helps to understand the role...
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Serum Laboratory Studies, Stool Test, Breath Test
Production of Alcohol
Mass Spectrometry: Alcohol Fragmentation
Depressants
Alcohol is a common depressant that can induce a sense of relaxation and reduced inhibition at low doses. Contrary to its occasional...
