Delays in blood collection and drug toxicology results among crash-involved drivers arrested for impaired driving

Abstract

Objective The concentration of drugs in a driver’s system can change between an impaired driving arrest or crash and the collection of a biological specimen for drug testing. Accordingly, delays in specimen collection can result in the loss of critical information that has the potential to affect impaired driving prosecution. The objectives of the study were: (1) to identify factors that influence the time between impaired-driving violations and specimen collections (time-to-collection) among crash-involved drivers, and (2) to consider how such delays affect measured concentrations of drugs, particularly with respect to common drug per se limits. Method Study data included blood toxicology results and crash-related information from 8,923 drivers who were involved in crashes and arrested for impaired driving in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2021. Analyses examined how crash timing and severity influenced time-to-collection and the effects of delays in specimen collection on blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and blood delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations. Results The mean time-to-collection for the entire sample was 1.80 h. Crash severity had a significant effect on time-to-collection with crashes involving a fatality having the longest duration ( M = 2.35 h) followed by injury crashes ( M = 2.06 h) and noninjury crashes ( M = 1.69 h). Time of day also affected time-to-collection; late night and early morning hours were associated with shorter durations. Both BAC (r = −0.11) and blood THC concentrations (r = −0.16) were significantly negatively correlated with time-to-collection. Conclusions Crash severity and the time of day at which a crash occurs can result in delays in the collection of blood specimens after impaired driving arrests. Because drugs often continue to be metabolized and eliminated between arrest and biological specimen collection, measured concentrations may not represent the concentrations of drugs that were present at the time of driving. This has the potential to affect drug-impaired driving prosecution, particularly in jurisdictions whose laws specify per se impairment thresholds.