Reader’s Question:

I’m already aware of the standardized field sobriety tests that police officers in Evansville, Indiana ask a person to do when suspected of DUI. So what can be considered as non-standardized field sobriety tests?

Caelan

Evansville, IN

If a motorist is pulled over on a routine DUI stop in Evansville, Indiana and the police officer suspects intoxication, field sobriety tests (FST’s) may be conducted. The motorist performs simple cognitive and physical tests to determine sobriety. Other than standardized FST’s, there are several non-standardized FST’s that police officers can also administer.

An example of the non-standardized FST would be the Rhomberg stationary balance test. In this test, the person stands with feet together and leans the head back to look up at the sky while holding their arms out to the side. Another one would be the finger-to-nose test in which this would require the driver to close his/her eyes and bring the finger around to touch the nose. In the hand-pat test, the driver would be asked to extend a hand in front, palm upwards. The other hand would then be placed on top of the first hand, palm downwards. The person would ‘pat’ the lower hand with the upper hand by rotating it, so that first the lower hand is patted with the palm of the upper hand and then with the back of the upper hand. Other examples include counting the number of fingers that the officer raises, reciting the alphabet or a portion of it, counting backwards and standing with feet together and tip the head backwards.

Tags: DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer, field sobriety tests