According to dui lawyer Celine Dostaler driving, alcohol and drugs simply do not mix together. Driving is a skill that needs a person’s attention and the capability to make fast decisions on the road. So, it’s safe to say that using alcohol or drugs while driving is very dangerous and sometimes lethal. And, if you don’t have your full attention while driving on your night out it’s really important to use the public transportation before you decide to enter intoxicated in your vehicle. Because not only you risk your own life, but you put in risk other people’s lives too.
There are some types of sobriety tests that officers take to establish the drunken state of a person (the percentage of alcohol) in someone’s system while driving. Field sobriety tests, are tests where because of a suspition that the driver currently driving a vehicle is drunk, a police officer after a traffic stop performs some sobriety test that will prove the incapability of the driver driving because of the state of intoxication he’s currently in. These tests are used to ensure that the police officer can arrest the intoxicated driver for driving under the influence of toxic substances. These tests are usually performed only for a purpose to be used as evidence in DUI cases.
There are some standard sobriety tests on such as: HGN- horizontal gaze nystagmus, WAT-walk and-turn and OLS- one leg stand.
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus: This term means an involuntary jerking of the eye that naturally occurs when the eye gazes to the side. But when someone is intoxicated with alcohol, this jerking is magnified. Usually Officers look for some indicators of damage in each eye such as a failure to follow some moving object.
Walk and Turn: This is a light test that is easily done and the meaning and purpose behind it is to determine the suspect’s capacity to fulfill tasks with concentration. The test consist of making the intoxicated driver take 9 steps on a straight line, turn on the foot and return on the same line but on the opposite direction.
One-Leg Stand: This is a test where the police officer asks the suspect (intoxicated driver) to stand just on one foot and move the other at at least 6 inches in the air for 30 seconds. If the suspect has problems with his equilibrium, or can’t stand just on one foot it indicates the possible impairment and incapability to drive.
These test are not 100% accurate. So, to be completely certain the suspect is indeed intoxicated and driving, before the arrest is made the officer performs other test (breath test) to determine the presence of alcohol or drugs in the suspect’s system.
There are some other sobriety tests such as the estimate of the number of fingers the police officer raises, repeat the alphabet, counting backwards or the standard one: touching the nose with one finger.
If these test are not done properly there is possibility of immediately dropping all charges. Because of that it’s important immediately contact a DUI attorney.