DRIVESC for Drunk Driving

Age: 18 - 65
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a tool called DRIVESC to detect changes in driving skills when alcohol is present in the system. The goal is to determine if DRIVESC can identify differences in driving behavior when blood alcohol levels reach the legal limit of 0.08%. The study involves a group of healthy adults, with some consuming alcohol and others abstaining, to compare results. Participants in the Wisconsin Breath Alcohol Examiner Specialist course who can provide consent are well-suited for this study. As an unphased study, this trial offers participants the chance to contribute to innovative research that could improve road safety.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to ask the study team for guidance.

What prior data suggests that the DRIVESC tool is safe for detecting alcohol-induced impairment?

Research has shown that the DRIVESC tool assesses changes in thinking and movement skills when alcohol is present. This study is unique because it involves no drugs or medical treatments. Instead, it evaluates how alcohol consumption affects driving using the tool.

Since DRIVESC is not a drug, it does not cause physical side effects like medications might. The primary goal is to determine how effectively the tool can detect changes in driving ability due to alcohol. Researchers are testing this tool on healthy adults who consume alcohol up to the legal limit, which is generally safe for most people.

In summary, the DRIVESC tool poses no safety risks to participants. It focuses on observing how alcohol impacts driving, not on testing a new medicine or treatment.12345

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about DRIVESC for addressing drunk driving because it is designed to test how alcohol consumption affects driving performance in a controlled setting. This trial has a unique approach, as it involves different scenarios where participants are either alcohol-positive or alcohol-negative on different days. Unlike traditional methods that rely on observational data and post-incident analysis, DRIVESC offers a direct way to study the immediate effects of alcohol on driving skills. This innovative setup could lead to more effective strategies for preventing drunk driving, making it a promising area of research.

What evidence suggests that the DRIVESC tool is effective for detecting alcohol-induced impairment?

Research has shown that the DRIVESC tool can detect changes in cognitive and motor functions related to driving. This trial will evaluate DRIVESC under different conditions: one group will test participants who are alcohol-negative on both days, another will test those who are alcohol-negative on the first day and alcohol-positive on the second, and a third group will test participants who are alcohol-positive on the first day and alcohol-negative on the second. Previous studies found that DRIVESC can identify alcohol-related issues even when alcohol levels are up to the legal limit of 0.08% blood alcohol concentration. This tool assesses how alcohol affects the brain's control over movements and decision-making, aiming to clearly demonstrate alcohol's impact on driving skills. Evidence suggests that DRIVESC is a promising method for identifying when alcohol may make driving unsafe.16789

Who Is on the Research Team?

HB

Heather Barkholtz, PhD

Principal Investigator

UW School of Pharmacy

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy adults aged 18-64 who are participating in the Wisconsin Breath Alcohol Examiner Specialist course. It includes those willing to have their driving-related skills tested with and without alcohol consumption, up to the U.S. legal limit.

Inclusion Criteria

Participants must be trainees, observers, or instructors in the Wisconsin Basic Breath Examiner Specialist training program
Participants must be able to provide informed consent
I am at least 18 years old, or 21 if the study involves alcohol.

Exclusion Criteria

Participants must be able to provide informed consent
Participants must be determined to be not suitable for participation due to other reasons at the discretion of the study team.
I meet the age requirement for my study group.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

Treatment

Participants complete study tasks over two days, with one day being alcohol-positive and the other alcohol-negative for some participants

2 days
2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for completion of all scheduled activities and changes in DRIVESC composite score

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

  • DRIVESC

Trial Overview

The study tests DRIVESC, a tool designed to measure fitness-to-drive by assessing changes in cognitive and motor performance related to different blood alcohol levels. Participants will be evaluated over two days, under both sober conditions and after consuming alcohol.

How Is the Trial Designed?

3

Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Alcohol Positive Day 1, Alcohol Negative Day 2Experimental Treatment2 Interventions
Group II: Alcohol Negative Day 1, Alcohol Positive Day 2Experimental Treatment2 Interventions
Group III: Alcohol Negative Day 1, Alcohol Negative Day 2Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Lead Sponsor

Trials
1,249
Recruited
3,255,000+

Citations

Validation of Alcohol Level Identification Using DRIVESC

Validation of Alcohol Level Identification Using DRIVESC. Conditions. Driving Impaired. Driving Impaired. Driving Impaired. Driving Impaired.

Effects of Brief Alcohol Interventions on Drinking and Driving ...

Alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious public health problem despite extensive prevention and intervention efforts aiming to reduce drunk driving. Young ...

Reviews of Evidence Regarding Interventions to Reduce ...

This figure illustrates the hypothesized links between interventions to reduce alcohol-impaired driving and the outcomes of interest. These interventions are.

Do Brief Alcohol Interventions Reduce Driving After Drinking ...

Abstract. Aims. College students who drink are at an increased risk of driving after drinking and alcohol-involved traffic accidents and deaths.

Yes, We Can Substantially Reduce Alcohol-Impaired ...

States requiring alcohol ignition interlocks for all DUI offenders showed 16 percent lower rates of impaired drivers in fatal crashes. A meta- ...

SOBER OR SLAMMER | SCDPS

There were 13,524 deaths from drunk-driving collisions in 2022. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety's (SCDPS) statistics for 2018-2022 show that ...

Drunk Driving | Statistics and Resources

Get resources on ways to prevent drunk driving and alcohol-impaired crashes along with national drunk driving statistics and facts.

What Works: Strategies to Prevent Alcohol-Impaired Driving

The strategies on this page are effective for reducing alcohol-impaired driving. They are recommended by The Guide to Community Preventive Services.

State Alcohol-Impaired-Driving Estimates - CrashStats - NHTSA

All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have set a threshold making it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration.