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What do cops look for in a field sobriety test?

Author

Sophia Bowman

Updated on March 15, 2026

What do cops look for in a field sobriety test?

Field Sobriety Tests are groups of three tests used by police to determine if a driver is impaired. The Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) is a battery of 3 tests that include the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN), the walk-and-turn, and the one-leg stand tests.

Likewise, people ask, what are the 3 field sobriety tests?

There were three tests chosen to constitute the "Standardized Field Sobriety Tests", which are:

  • the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test;
  • the Walk and Turn Test; and.
  • the One-Leg Stand Test.

Secondly, what are cops looking for when they check your eyes? The HGN test involves the police officer having the driver follow a pen with his eyes. The police officer is looking for specific responses from the eyes that show the driver is under the influence. Nystagmus is the involuntary rapid movement of an eye either horizontally or vertically.

Then, what do field sobriety tests measure?

Field Sobriety Test to Assess Drunk Driving. Field Sobriety Tests are groups of three tests used by police to determine if a driver is impaired. The tasks assess balance, coordination, and the ability of the driver to divide his attention to more than one task during the field sobriety test.

What part of the brain is tested in a field sobriety test?

cerebrum

If an officer asks you to take a field sobriety test, you do have the right to refuse. You cannot be prosecuted for refusing a field sobriety test unlike the chemical test. Field sobriety tests are not scientific. They are what police often use as a basis for a DUI arrest.

Should I take a field sobriety test?

You absolutely keep your right to refuse field sobriety tests, the breath test, and the blood test, even when they say it's a "No Refusal" weekend. Obviously if you do a field sobriety test, that's one way they can get probable cause.

Can a sober person pass a field sobriety test?

It's best to avoid taking a field sobriety test. That's because a third or more of sober people fail it. And that's under ideal conditions. You can be completely sober and easily have a failed field sobriety test.

How do you tell if you're too drunk to drive?

Here are the top 5 signs you may be too drunk to drive:
  1. Poor muscle coordination.
  2. Impaired perception.
  3. Loss of concentration.
  4. Short-term memory loss.
  5. Loss of self-control, reasoning, judgment and memory.

How accurate is a field sobriety test?

Field Sobriety Test Accuracy
10% or higher. They found that standardizing the tests gave the horizontal gaze nystagmus a 77% accuracy rate, the walk and turn a 68% accuracy rate and the one-leg stand a 65% accuracy rate—and when all three were used together, they were correct 82% of the time.

Is a field sobriety test admissible in court?

Admissibility of Test Results
To determine if evidence from field sobriety tests is permitted in court trials, the tests must conform to specific established guidelines in various states. When tests are not administered in a correct manner, they may be excluded in a trial as evidence.

What does a DUI blood test check for?

Are DUI blood tests reliable? If properly taken, a DUI blood test is a reliable way to tell your blood alcohol concentration (BAC), or to detect some drugs in your system. This is because it captures the exact chemical content of your blood at the time of the draw.

What is the purpose of a field sobriety test?

Officers record the suspect's performance on a field sobriety test to be used as evidence in DUI cases; such tests generally have been upheld on appeal. The purpose of all sobriety tests is to ensure that a police officer has probable cause to arrest someone for driving under the influence.

What happens if you fail a field sobriety test?

Refusing field sobriety tests will most likely result in the person being arrested. If an individual passes the field sobriety tests, and does not register as legally intoxicated on a roadside breathalyzer test, the officer can still arrest the person if the officer suspects they are a danger to others.

What is the 0 tolerance law?

Zero Tolerance Law Law and Legal Definition. Zero tolerance laws impose automatic punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct. Zero Tolerance laws makes it illegal for any driver younger than 21 to operate a vehicle with any type of blood alcohol count (BAC).

How do cops tell if you're high?

A driver must swab the inside of his cheek for four minutes, then a machine called the Dräger 5000 analyzes the swab for marijuana, opioids, cocaine, amphetamine, methadone, methamphetamine and benzodiazepines. It can't tell exactly how high you are, however, just whether drugs are present in your system.

Does a cop have to show you the Breathalyzer?

But based on those circumstances, the officer is under no obligation to tell you which of those tests would work out favorably for you at that particular moment. The most common DUI cop response is: “If you take the Breathalyzer, the results are what they are and that's it.

What do cops do at a checkpoint?

Definition: Sobriety checkpoints are police stops, or checkpoints, where officers are set up on a roadway to randomly stop vehicles to check for impaired drivers. These are usually set up during times when impaired driving is known to happen, such as holiday weekends.

Why do cops ask you to follow their finger?

Using a Finger for the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test at a DWI Stop. The HGN test measures the steadiness of your eyes while you follow an object with your eyes. Officers often use their finger or perhaps a pen for this test because they can easily see your eyes while providing an object for you to follow.

Can you refuse to answer questions at a DUI checkpoint?

A. You can refuse to answer the officer's questions at a DUI checkpoint to an extent. At a legal sobriety checkpoint, law enforcement officials have the right to question you to ascertain if you might be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

What are the 6 clues of HGN?

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) Field Sobriety Test
  • CHECK EQUAL TRACKING & PUPIL SIZE. Equal Tracking Yes No. Equal Pupil Size Yes No.
  • CLUES: LEFT RIGHT. *Lack of Smooth Pursuit. 2 seconds out; 2 seconds back. *Distinct Nystagmus. @Maximum Deviation. Hold minimum of 4 seconds. *Onset of Nystagmus. Prior to 45 Degrees.
  • TOTAL SCORE: (Decision Point: 4; Max: 6)

How many clues do you need for Walk and Turn?

eight clues

Why do eyes shake when drunk?

Twitching Eyes – excessive alcohol intake can cause eye twitching or myokymia. Slow Pupil Reaction – consuming alcohol can cause your eye's iris to dilate much slower than normal. This can lead to tunnel vision as the pupils may not open up as well as they normally would.

Why do doctors have you follow their finger with your eyes?

This nerve constricts the pupils, opens the eyelids, and controls the movement of the eye (extraocular movements). We test this by shining a light in the eyes to see if the pupils constrict properly, and by having the person follow our finger as we move it up, down, and side to side.

How long does a field sobriety test take?

This is administered by requiring the suspect to take nine steps, heel-to-toe, along a straight line; turn on one foot; and then return in the same manner in the opposite direction. One-Leg Stand: Suspects are asked to stand with one foot about six inches off the ground and count for 30 seconds.

How long does it take to be sober?

While the duration in which a person remains “drunk” varies, the average, moderately-intoxicated person will probably sober up in about 6-8 hours. Charts such as the one noted here can help a person estimate what their BAC will be over the next few hours after ingesting a certain number of drinks.

What two general types of test are included in a field sobriety test?

What two general types of test are included in a field sobriety test? Field sobriety tests are performed to ensure that the results from the breath test are correct. Two general types of tests are psycho physical tests and breath tests. Iodine must be applied to a subject's skin before drawing blood.

What is the pen test for DUI?

Otherwise known as the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), it is performed by an officer moving an object like a pen or finger back in forth in front of a person's eyes and the results can tell an officer if alcohol is present in your body.

How does the DUI eye test work?

The Horizontal Nystagmus Test (HGN) is a standardized field sobriety test (FST) that police often administer in order to gauge whether a DUI suspect is under the influence of alcohol. The officer notes the angle at which the pupil starts to exhibit "nystagmus" (an involuntary jerking of the eye).

How do you pass the HGN test?

Passes -- Smooth Pursuit.
The stimulus should be moved at a speed that takes at least two seconds from the center position to the side position. At a rate of at least four seconds per eye per pass (two second out to the side and two seconds back to center), this phase of the HGN should take at least 16 seconds.

How does breath Analyser work?

Law enforcement
Breath analyzers do not directly measure blood alcohol content or concentration, which requires the analysis of a blood sample. Instead, they estimate BAC indirectly by measuring the amount of alcohol in one's breath. In general, two types of breathalyzer are used.

How many kinds of field sobriety tests are there in Florida?

The most commonly used roadside agility tests in Florida include the following:
  • Eye test or HGN (Horizontal gaze nystagmus test);
  • Finger to nose exercise;
  • Walk and turn exercise; and.
  • One-legged stand exercise.

How many clues are in horizontal gaze nystagmus?

three

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