Field Sobriety Test
The following is what can happen when a law enforcement officer has a reason to suspect a driver is intoxicated. Some possible reasons are erratic driving, poor coordination, and/or the presence of the smell of alcohol. Field sobriety test The officer will administer one or more field sobriety tests (FSTs). Some common FSTs include having the driver: • try to walk in a straight line, heel-to-toe. • tip his or her head back with eyes closed and try to touch the tip of the nose with the index finger. • stand on one foot. • reciting all or part of the alphabet. FSTs are better at determining the level of impairment than they are at estimating the driver’s BAC. The (US) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has scientifically determined that three FSTs are statistically reliable in detecting impaired drivers. These three “standardized” tests (SFSTs) are the “Walk and Turn” test, the “One-leg Stand” and “Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus” in which a law enforcement officer observes...