When police officers suspect people of intoxication, they immediately start looking for evidence. They may ask drivers a number of questions intended to prove that they should not have gotten behind the wheel. They may also seek to conduct tests to validate their suspicions of intoxication.
Chemical testing is one option, but police officers usually only administer chemical tests after arresting drivers. They need to gather evidence of misconduct if they hope to request a chemical test and conduct a driving while impaired (DWI) arrest. Field sobriety test results can provide the probable cause that officers need to request chemical testing and arrest drivers.
What tests do police officers generally administer?
There are three tests viewed as standard
The goal of field sobriety testing is to evaluate the likelihood of alcohol impairment based on motor function. In theory, police officers could get creative when trying to test motorists, but then there could be questions about the accuracy and validity of the test results. As such, police officers receive training on how to administer the three standardized field sobriety tests.
Officers may ask drivers to complete the one-leg stand test to gauge their balance. They may ask drivers to complete the walk-and-turn test to look at their gait and balance. Officers also conduct the horizontal gaze nystagmus test to look at muscle spasms in the eyes that become more noticeable when a person has ingested alcohol.
These tests can produce false positive results. However, they can also provide officers with the probable cause necessary to initiate an OWI arrest and to request a chemical breath test from a driver.
Motorists who understand what tests they may have to perform may recognize that they have medical conditions that could undermine the accuracy of these tests. They may also benefit from knowing that they have the right to decline field sobriety test requests.
Knowing how to handle an OWI traffic stop can help people reduce their chances of arrest and increase their chances of successfully defending against OWI charges. Field sobriety testing often plays a critical role in the state’s case against allegedly impaired motorists. Drivers who know how to navigate those tests can more effectively protect themselves against unfair DWI charges.