Arrest Procedures for Driving While Intoxicated

Summers, Leland G.; Ridgeway, R. Glen; Harris, Douglas H., 1930- · 1980 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1980 report by Anacapa Sciences, Inc., commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), addresses the inefficiencies in Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) arrest procedures. Previous research indicated that excessive time and resource burdens inhibited enforcement, resulting in low arrest rates. The study aimed to identify procedural alternatives, determine their impact on processing time, identify factors influencing arrest rates, and develop model procedures to enhance enforcement effectiveness. The methodology involved a field study across twelve law enforcement agencies, with detailed data collection conducted at eight participating agencies. Researchers analyzed 505 DWI arrests derived from 716 apprehensions. The DWI process was decomposed into nine components: apprehension, field sobriety testing, arrest, vehicle disposition, transportation, evidential testing, interrogation, reporting, and incarceration or release. Data were collected using tailored DWI Contact Forms completed by patrol officers, supplemented by group interviews with officers and liaison personnel to assess attitudes and influencing factors. Statistical analyses, including analysis of variance and correlation coefficients, were used to evaluate processing times and the relationship between procedural factors and arrest rates. The study found that the average processing time for a DWI arrest was 91 minutes, with significant variation among agencies ranging from 58 to 134 minutes. The most time-consuming segments were transportation/evidential testing and interrogation/reporting, each averaging 26 minutes. While processing time itself was not significantly correlated with DWI arrest rates, the burden of the process contributed to negative attitudes within agencies toward enforcement. A high, statistically significant positive correlation was found between agency attitudes and arrest rates. Additionally, the use of DWI emphasis patrols was significantly correlated with higher arrest rates; agencies employing such patrols had arrest rates approximately twice those of agencies that did not. Based on these findings, the researchers developed and evaluated a set of model DWI arrest procedures. These recommendations were reviewed by a panel of experts in legal, enforcement, and adjudication facets. The report concludes that enhancing enforcement requires not only optimizing procedural efficiency but also addressing officer attitudes and implementing emphasis patrols. The study provides specific recommendations for statutes and procedural steps to reduce the arrest burden and improve the overall effectiveness of DWI law enforcement.

Key finding

Agency attitudes toward DWI enforcement were positively correlated with DWI arrest rates, and the use of DWI emphasis patrols resulted in arrest rates approximately twice as high as those of agencies without such patrols.

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: 505

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• dui enforcement