Police custody following drink-driving: A prospective study

Abstract Background Drink-driving is a crime and traffic offences are a common cause of detention in police custody. Legal assessment of alcohol intoxication is based on breath or blood testing. We hypothesize that refusal of breath alcohol testing or inability to perform it can correspond to singular medical characteristics of the detainee, possibly assaulted or injured during the arrest. Our objective was to determine medical characteristics of detainees held in custody for drink-driving. Methods Prospective monocentric study (April–October, 2010) of drink-drive arrestees. Controls were persons aged over 18 detained for other reasons than drink-driving. Data collected concerned persons’ characteristics and reported assaults or observed injuries. Results 223 drivers were tested positive for breath alcohol level and 55 suspected drink-drivers refused or were not able to complete breath test. 2212 consecutively examined persons served as controls. Drink-drive arrestees requested medical examination more rarely (18% and 7%, vs. 43%, P < 0.0001) and drivers tested positive for breath alcohol were more frequently alcohol abusers (25% vs. 14%, P < 0.0001) than controls. Drivers who did not complete breath test more often reported assaults than those tested positive for breath alcohol (22% vs. 8%, P = 0.007). They had more frequent traumatic injuries than those tested positive and than controls (29% vs. 11% and 17%, P = 0.003 and 0.02). Only 1% of drink drivers were unfit for detention after medical examination. Conclusion Physicians need to give attentive care to detained drink-drivers. Special attention should be paid to drink-drivers who refused or were not able to complete breath alcohol measurement.