The profile of the suspect drunk-in-charge driver in the Belfast area.

THIS PAPER describes some of the facts gleaned from a survey of 578 unselected suspect drunk-in-charge drivers seen over the period between January, 1973, to December, 1974, by one police surgeon in Belfast. In some instances the information is incomplete as the individual refused to be examined or to give a specimen of blood or urine for laboratory analysis. For the purpose of the series results of alcohol levels in urine were converted to equivalent blood levels using the ratio of 1.3 :1 of urine to blood (Road Traffic Act Northern Ireland, 1970). All alcohol levels in blood are expressed in milligrams per 100 ml. The findings were recorded at the time of examination on a standard proforma and counts and analyses have been carried out by computer.