Updated: Jun 10, 2021

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 to 44 year olds are at greater risk of being involved in fatal crashes at any level of blood alcohol concentration1. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the percentage of alcohol in an individual's bloodstream. A BAC of 0.10% means an individual's blood supply contains one part alcohol for every 1000 parts blood.

Among drivers with BAC levels of 0.08% or higher involved in fatal crashes in 2016, nearly three in 10 were between 25 and 34 years of age (27%). The next two largest groups were ages 21 to 24 (26%) and 35 to 44 (22%)2.

This age group encompasses most active drivers, and since they’re more involved in fatal crashes when impaired, understanding testing is imperative to innovate overall motor vehicle safety.

Current Blood Alcohol Concentration Testing

Along with blood testing, breath and urine testing are commonly used to test for BAC. Though these tests are most common, they occur with their own sets of pros and cons:

• Blood Test
• Though accurate and the most common, blood tests require 24 hours to determine results and is the most invasive. The timing of this test can affect the accuracy of the results, as well. A blood alcohol test is only accurate within 6–12 hours after an individual's last drink.
• Breath Test
• Most commonly and frequently used, breathalyzers measure how much alcohol is in the air you exhale. Breathalyzers estimate how much alcohol is in your blood.
• Though breathalyzer results are immediate, they do not assess an individual’s weight, height, or other factors that can determine test outcomes, therefore not making results as accurate.
• Urine Test
• Urine tests are less accurate than breath and blood tests, and tend to be used only when other tests are not available.
• With lower accuracy, urine test results can be significantly higher or lower than the actual BAC found via blood testing. Alcohol takes up to two hours to appear in an individual's urine and can remain in a person’s system for 6 to 24 hours.

Introducing Eye Alcohol Concentration

Unlike breath and urine testing, understanding alcohol concentration through vision impairment levels can determine impairment of alcohol, and any drug, by using computer vision to analyze characteristics of the eye. Vision impairment levels or VIL simply determines alcohol impairment levels through the eye.

The most sensitive sense, sight, is a key indicator of brain function and a more accurate source of reaction time in how it correlates with overall impairment. Eye Alcohol Concentration or EAC testing, created by EyeGage, innovates BAC testing to be easier to administer, offer immediate results, and be less invasive than other testing methods.

Through continuous testing and research efforts, EyeGage’s technology is proven to quickly and accurately determine alcohol levels by using computer vision to analyze characteristics of the eye. By analyzing pupil size, sclera color, involuntary twitching and reaction time to various stimuli, the technology via a mobile application, can change the way BAC testing is used in personal and professional settings.

Improved Testing with EyeGage

Innovating motor vehicle safety through EAC will increase accuracy and confidence of BAC testing for personal and professional usage. Though convenience and straightforwardness is key in EyeGage’s overall user experience, below are tactical outputs of the mobile application:

• Test Input - Eyes
• Required Resources - Mobile application
• Test Time - Less than 5 minutes
• Results Time - Immediate
• Accuracy - High
• Self-Administered - Yes

With EyeGage, individuals can download an app quickly and effectively know their BAC to make saver decisions if under the influence. In addition to personal use, companies can implement this technology to measure alcohol levels quickly, accurately, and increase workforce confidence in safety procedures and protocols.

To participate in an EyeGage research study, click here → https://www.eyegage.com/research

1 https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html