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Description
Police officers have specific authority to request that a driver stop and submit to a Standard Field Sobriety Test when the police officer has reason to believe that a driver is under the influence of alcohol. The driver must perform simple physical or cognitive tests to determine sobriety. This test helps police in determining if there is evidence to justify a demand for a breath sample.
The Standardized Field Sobriety Test consists of a series of three tests that are administered and evaluated (by a trained peace officer) in a standardized manner, to obtain validated indicators of impairment and establish probable cause for arrest.
How it works
The following group of tests, administered in the specified order, constitutes a standard field sobriety test:
- horizontal gaze nystagmus test – the peace officer makes a number of observations of each eye of the test subject while the subject’s eyes follow or look at a hand-held object the officer is moving or holding steady;
- walk-and-turn test – the peace officer requires the test subject to listen to instructions and then to take a specific number of heel-to-toe steps in a straight line, turn on one foot and take the same number of heel-to-toe steps back in a straight line, while counting the steps out loud and looking at his or her feet;
- one-leg stand test – the peace officer requires the test subject to listen to instructions and then to one of his or her feet and count out loud, while looking at the raised foot for a specific period timed by the peace officer.
Frequently asked questions
Can only one part of the field sobriety test be given?
The Standardized Field Sobriety Test consists of a series of three tests that are administered and evaluated in a standardized manner, to obtain validated indicators of impairment and establish probable cause for arrest.
What if I am unable to take a field sobriety test because of a physical disability?
If the person has some form of disability, it may not be possible to administer one or more of the tests. This would be up to the discretion of the police officer whose job is to ensure that any evidence used to issue a demand for a breath test would be admissible in court.
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