The holiday season is here, and that means people heading out to parties of all sorts. One thing that can make a driver’s heart drop is seeing the flashing lights of a police vehicle behind them. Once that occurs, the driver will need to pull over.
A traffic stop based on suspicions of drunk driving starts with the officer seeing signs that the driver is intoxicated. This can involve various clues, including swerving between lanes or failing to stop at red lights. The officer can utilize various methods to determine if the driver is impaired.
Questioning the driver
Police officers typically start the traffic stop off by speaking to the driver to try to determine what’s going on. They will look for signs of impairment, such as the driver’s breath smelling like alcohol or the presence of open containers in the vehicle. If the officer sees anything amiss, they may use other options to get more information.
Field sobriety tests
Field sobriety tests are done on the roadside. While there are many different tests that an officer can utilize, only three tests are part of the standardized field sobriety test (SFST). The SFST is the only set of tests that’s considered reliable enough to be admissible in court. It includes the walk and turn, one-leg stand and horizontal gaze nystagmus. Even though these tests are reliable, they still must be performed properly in order to be accurate.
Chemical tests
Chemical tests are another option. This is typically done as a breath test, but can also be handled via a blood or urine test. Chemical tests that are done on the side of the road aren’t considered accurate because of calibration issues with the equipment, but other versions of the test are.
Fighting drunk driving charges takes considerable effort. It’s best to work with someone familiar with these matters so they can provide assistance with getting together a defense strategy.