Guardian Angel Alcohol Test: The devil is in the details

描述(由申请人提供)：最有效的酒后驾车法律规定了禁止的BAC水平。然而，大多数司机对BAC概念的理解非常有限。此外，他们估计其BAC水平的能力非常有限。有证据表明，周末晚上在路上超限的司机低估了他们的BAC水平。因此，为酗酒者提供一种正确估计其BAC水平的方法，似乎可以降低此类司机对自己和他人构成的风险。在过去的30年里，已经开发了几种用于计算饮料数量或进行自我测试的辅助工具。然而，很少有公司得到了充分的评估，大多数公司未能在美国实现商业上的可行性。 最近，一种新的自我测试设备--守护天使(GA)--被开发出来，它可以分析唾液样本中的酒精含量。GA单元有许多好的特点，比如它的尺寸(小到可以放在钱包里)和成本(四个测试条大约2美元)。它已经做了广泛的广告，并通过杂货店和药店分发。尽管如此，几乎没有关于该单位表现的信息。制造商报告说，该设备已经按照交通部的标准进行了测试，但只提供了非常有限的测试信息。此外，人们对该产品的“现场可用性”知之甚少。在一次有限的试点测试中，皮尔发现，这种表现的准确性在一定程度上取决于用户的BAC。GA测试需要适当的管理和解释才能产生准确的结果。因此，测试用户的醉酒和黑暗的照明条件可能会导致不准确的测试结果，这可能会增加用户的风险。 拟议研究计划的目的是进行两项研究，以确定GA唾液测试与标准证据呼气测试设备的有效性和可靠性，并调查决定测试结果将在多大程度上影响用户关于饮酒和酒后驾驶的决定的因素。这项研究还将检验经过验证的准确和不准确的BAC反馈，以及分类和精确的BAC反馈对饮酒者醉酒和损伤感知的影响。本研究不仅对GA测试进行了验证，而且对BAC反馈的作用也具有一定的理论意义。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The most effective drinking-and-driving laws set prohibited BAC levels. However, most drivers have a very limited understanding of the BAC concept. Further, their ability to estimate their BAC levels is very limited. Evidence shows that over-the-limit drivers on the roads on weekend evenings underestimate their BAC levels. It appears, therefore, that providing heavy drinkers with a method of correctly estimating their BAC levels could reduce the risk such drivers pose to themselves and others. In the last 30 years, several aids for counting drinks or performing self-tests have been developed. Yet, few have been adequately evaluated and most have failed to become commercially viable in the United States. Recently, a new self-test device the Guardian Angel (GA)--has been developed that analyzes the alcohol content of saliva samples. The GA unit has many good features such as its size (small enough to be carried in the wallet) and cost (about $2 for four test strips). It has been advertised extensively and distributed through grocery stores and drug stores. Nonetheless, there is almost no information on the performance of the unit. The manufacturer reports that the device has been tested to the Department of Transportation standards, but only very limited information has been provided on their tests. Furthermore, little information is known about the "field usability" of the product. In a limited pilot test, PIRE found that the accuracy of that performance depends in part on the BAC of the user. The GA test requires proper administration and interpretation to produce accurate results. Thus, intoxication of the test user and dark lighting conditions may lead to inaccurate test results that could increase the risk to the user. The aim of the proposed research program is to conduct two studies that will determine the validity and reliability of the GA saliva test compared to a standard evidential breath-test device and to investigate the factors that will determine the extent to which the results of the test will affect user decisions about drinking and about drinking-and-driving. The research also will examine the impact of verified accurate versus inaccurate BAC feedback, as well as that of categorical versus precise BAC feedback on drinkers' perceptions of intoxication and impairment. This research not only has practical implications by validating the GA test, but also theoretical implications regarding the role of BAC feedback in general.