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Field Sobriety Tests

When an officer suspects that a driver is intoxicated, he or she may ask the person to perform a series of voluntary tests. These tests, referred to as field sobriety tests, include exercises that test one's balance, motor skills and lucidity.

Some common sobriety tests include:

Stand on one foot at a time: An officer may look for raising of the arms, swaying, hopping, putting the foot down, inability to stand still, body tremors or muscle tension.

Follow the pen (a.k.a.: Nystagmus): An officer places an object, such as a pen, 12 inches away from the driver's face, and moves the object side to side while watching the driver's eyes. The officer may look for involuntary jerking or trembling of the eyeball.

The Rhomberg Balance test: The driver is asked to tilt his or her head back, close his/her eyes and count 30 seconds silently. An officer may look for the inability to stand steady, body or eyelids shaking, opening eyes to maintain balance, swaying or muscle tension. This test is also intended to check an individual's "internal clock," which may be slowed with the use of alcohol, or sped up with the use of stimulants.

Walk and turn: An individual takes "heel-to-toe" steps in line then turns and takes the same number of "heel-to-toe" steps back. An officer is checking whether the individual can balance, follow instructions, be coordinated, and start/stop when asked.

Finger to nose: This test requires an individual to close one's eyes, stand straight with feet together and touch index finger to nose. An officer may look for body sway or tremors, eyelid tremors or muscle tension.

Other field sobriety tests include:

Walk in a straight line
Touch each finger, one after the other, to thumb
Count backwards
Recite or sing the alphabet

In addition to roadside exercises, an officer may require that an individual take a Breathalyzer test to check the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), based on the person's breath sample.

Field Sobriety Tests are intended to check an individual's motor skills and "divided attention," a critical skill used while operating a motor vehicle, while a breath test is a chemical test to estimate level of intoxication. Each State has different laws regarding how much weight a roadside test will hold in a DUI / DWI arrest. Field sobriety tests are voluntary, but refusal to cooperate may result in an automatic arrest.

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