Officer's View Sobriety tests

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By: G. Cantor, La Mesa P.D. Sergeant (Ret)
Have you ever been sitting around with a buddy talking about things, when the next thing you know you're talking about the time you got stopped and were given a Field Sobriety Test? Before long, somebody in that conversation will say, "I passed the tests with flying colors, but got arrested anyway." I don't know about you, but I've heard it many times. The purpose of this article is to give you a little bit of information. Here are some things you should know about Field Sobriety Tests.

Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs) were developed informally by police officers in the field who knew from experience that when someone was drunk, or had been drinking, their bodies didn't function normally. However, for a long time the reliability of the tests was not really known. Starting in 1977 the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a couple of studies. Those studies showed that the particular list of tests they used and were common in the field, proved to have a reliability ranged from 65 to 80 percent.

In recent years, the Preliminary Alcohol Screening (PAS) Device was added to the battery of tests given in the field. The PAS is a portable handheld breath test, which gives an objective reading of the blood-alcohol level. For the first time, this gave the officer an objective chemical test that proved to be far more accurate. However, like all of the FST's, taking the PAS is voluntary.

The Field Sobriety Tests (other than the PAS) is a bit misunderstood by lay folk. You would think that if the word "test" is part of the title, then you'd have to either pass or fail it - wrong. The Field Sobriety Test is simply a way of being able to see the affect of alcohol on the human body.

There are other factors that will affect balance, coordination, dexterity, even what your breath smells like; however, police officers are trained to look at the totality of the symptoms. Most police agencies have their own style; whereas the particular tests may vary from agency to agency, what the tests show is the same. For the purpose of this article, rather than discuss what the tests are, I'll talk about what they are meant to show.

Alcohol is a depressant on the human system. This is easy to understand when you think about the drunk sleeping on the sidewalk or in his car. The human body is affected by alcohol: it affects balance, mental process, coordination and judgment. The higher the level of alcohol is, the greater the affect on the body. The purpose of any field sobriety test is to not only observe the affect, but provide tangible markers that can easily be recorded for others to see as well.

It is easy to see when a person's balance is impaired, but the officer is also interested in coordination, dexterity, small motor or muscle skills and judgment, both physical and mental, many of the same skills necessary to operate a vehicle.

Tests are always explained and usually demonstrated. In addition, the officer may say something like, "Don't begin the test until I have fully explained it." Many times intoxicated people will begin prior to the officer completing his explanation. That failure to wait will usually show up on the report. It demonstrates an inability to follow directions, poor mental judgment. When the officer shows how the test is to be performed, he will instruct the person to follow the directions carefully and perform the test just as he/she demonstrated it. The officer watches to see if the instructions can be followed, and when they are not, that is recorded on the report.

Not only is the officer looking for impaired mental judgment, his also looking for judgment of distance. The Finger To Nose test is a good example. Failure to touch the tip of the finger to the tip of the nose may involve impairment of a person's ability to judge distance.

In the Finger To Nose test alone, the officer could see balance impairment, judgment difficulties, lack of coordination and eyelid tremors, all signs of intoxication.

Each one of the tests given is multi-faceted showing different symptoms of intoxication. All of these tests can be practiced, but alcohol has an affect on the body that cannot be easily masked or controlled, therefore, if you have been drinking, it will show up.

The FSTs are not fool-proof; however, with the addition of the Preliminary Alcohol Screening Device, they are getting much better.

If you drink, be responsible. Don't go anywhere or have a designated driver. Remember, the first thing that is affected by your drinking is your judgment. Make good decisions before you start so you don't make bad decisions later.

Greg Cantor Retired La Mesa Police Sergeant