There is considerable interest in defining the relationship between the probability of being arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUI) and blood alcohol concentration (BAC)*. Such information, if accurately known, could be put to a variety of uses, including public information, police patrol management information, DUI patrol evaluation, and estimation of the number of drunken drivers on the road.

In surveys associated with the Alcohol Safety Action Projects (ASAP), thousands of persons have been interviewed and asked, among other questions, what they thought their chances were of being stopped by the police after having had too much to drink. The object of such a question is to measure the level of public awareness of enforcement of the DUI laws. Even those who pose the question do not know the answer, however; and such a question has no single answer unless the level of intoxication, or BAC, is specified. There have been no detailed studies to establish such probabilities. Previous estimates suggest that the probability of being arrested while staking a 10 mile trip with a BAC above 0.10% is about 0.0015†.¹ Accurate knowledge of the probabilities of being arrested for DUI is necessary if a public education campaign against drunken driving is to retain the trust and confidence of the public.

This kind of knowledge could also prove to be a valuable police patrol management tool. The officer in charge of DUI patrols would have a standard against which to measure the performance of his unit.

In addition, if the probability of arrest for DUI under specific patrol conditions can be established with confidence, it should be possible—by patrolling a particular area and obtaining traffic count data—to infer the percentage of drivers who will have a given BAC range. Such a means of estimating the number of drunken drivers would be more readily adaptable to communities without ASAPs than a costly voluntary roadside survey.

This report describes a method of determining the probability of being arrested for DUI, and applies it to a driver with a given BAC who comes under the surveillance of a police officer skilled in the detection of drunken drivers. To compute the probability of arrest as a function of BAC, it is necessary to know the unconditional probability of being arrested. A police patrol experiment was designed and conducted which provided the required information. The BAC distribution of the population of drivers who are not arrested was taken from the results of a random survey² of volunteer motorists conducted within the patrol area two months before the initiation of the patrol experiment. The BAC distribution of drivers arrested was obtained from police records.

Roads are full of different kinds of vehicles and people driving them. Even though you may consider yourself a skilled driver with your driving lessons or experience, you still cannot be sure that an accident may not occur while you are on the road because of a careless driver on the wheel of another vehicle. The risk of accidents threatens truck drivers the most. An accident could mean severe injuries and even loss of life. Also, it could lead to significant damage to the goods you are carrying on your truck.

So to reduce the risks that could threaten your truck and yourself, you can practice defensive driving while you are on the road.

What is Defensive Driving?

As the name suggests, defensive driving is a strategy that truck drivers use to keep themselves safe while on the road. You can enroll with a reputed driving school in Toronto to learn about defensive driving and the techniques. Broadly speaking, in defensive driving, you look at all other vehicles on the road as a threat to you. As a result, you will take the utmost care to ensure to eliminate these threats by being careful yourself, read the following article if ever wondered how to remove points from driving record california.

Why Defensive Driving is Important

Driving skills differ from person to person. While some people are highly skilled and are mostly capable of driving safely without causing any harm to themselves or others, some others do not care much about road safety. In such a scenario, defensive driving is a great way to avoid accidents and mishaps by being completely aware of your surroundings. This is particularly true for truck drivers who undertake long hauls and have to share the road with other drivers. The best way to learn defensive driving is to take truck driving lessons from top driving schools such as Sprint Driving!

Prepares You for the Journey

Defensive driving is not restricted to your practices and movements on the go. It starts at the very beginning, even before you have entered your truck. Defensive driving prepares you for potential dangers and allows you to function in a manner that protects you and your truck from damage due to another vehicle.

At the very outset, get your truck checked and serviced if required to prevent it from breaking down in the middle of the road. As a responsible driver, you will have to ensure that you are well-fed and well-rested before you undertake the journey. Also, avoid alcohol or any other intoxicating substances before stepping out.

Helps You Maintain a Safe Distance

Defensive driving mandates every driver to ensure that there is a three-second distance between your vehicle and the one before you. Tailgating another vehicle can be disastrous because if the vehicle before you halts abruptly, you could go dashing into its rear end. To know how to maintain this safe distance, get yourself enrolled into a driving school for driving lessons in Toronto.