What to Expect During a Field Sobriety Test

For your safety, and the safety of other road users, it is good to avoid driving while under the influence of alcohol. But some people still drive after a drink or two, and law enforcement officers use a breathalyzer or sobriety test to check culprits of DUI.

So, what are some of things you should you expect during a sobriety test?

1. One-leg stand test
2. HGN-Horizontal gaze nystagmus 
3. Walk and turn

Walk and turn

The reason why the law enforcement officers may order you to walk a few steps on one leg, and turn is to test your focus. When people are under the influence of alcohol, they tend to lose focus, and their attention is easily drawn to other things and surroundings.

Horizontal gaze nystagmus

When a person is under the influence of alcohol, their eyes tend to jerk more than usual. The police will be checking for involuntary jerking of the eyes when they request you to do this exercise. Legal officers can tell that you are under the influence of alcohol if you can’t follow a moving object and if there is more jerking and deviation when you roll your eyes at forty-five degrees. 

One-leg stand

When one is under the influence of alcohol, you cannot maintain balance. That is why the one-leg stand exercises may be used by the police to test your ability to maintain balance without hopping or putting the other leg down.

Apart from field sobriety tests, police officers have different tests they carry out to know if you are DUI, and will use them to gather evidence and arrest. Other tests include; counting the fingers as the police raise them, tipping your head backward while maintaining your standing posture, or even reciting the alphabet. Failure to perform such tasks indicates you are drunk, and police have the right to arrest you for DUI.