Police officers who suspect people of intoxication need objective evidence. Field sobriety tests are one of the ways that police officers help build cases against people during traffic stops or after car crashes.
Drivers who know the three standardized field sobriety tests can recognize situations in which police officers make procedural errors and may be better able to assert their rights during an interaction with law enforcement professionals. What are the three tests considered standard when trying to gauge an individual’s intoxication?
1. The walk-and-turn test
Alcohol can affect a person’s coordination and gait or the pattern of their steps. Police officers often ask drivers to walk in a straight line, turn completely around and walk back along the same line. If they stumble or fall, that can support claims that they are intoxicated.
2. The one-leg stand test
Alcohol intoxication affects balance as well, which is why police officers may ask drivers to stand on one leg during field sobriety testing. If people must put their foot down or fall over when attempting to stand on one leg, they fail the test.
3. The horizontal gaze nystagmus test
Some responses to alcohol are subconscious and involuntary. The horizontal gaze nystagmus test looks at one of those physiological responses. Muscles in the eye may twitch in a visible manner when people move their eyes from side to side with an elevated blood alcohol level.
Motorists typically have the right to decline field sobriety testing. They can also present evidence in court explaining why they may have failed field sobriety tests. Those hoping to fight drunk driving charges benefit from getting experienced legal guidance as early as possible.
