Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) are a series of three tests used by New Britain police officers to assess a driver’s balance, coordination, ability to focus, and ability to follow directions and determine if a driver is under the influence. The results of these tests are used by officers to establish the basis for a DUI arrest. These tests include the (1) One-leg stand test, (2) Horizontal gaze nystagmus, and the (2) Walk-and-turn test. You can learn more about these tests on this page.
The one-leg stand test is also a divided attention test. The driver must stand on one leg and hold the other leg up with their foot about six inches from the ground. While standing, the driver must keep their arms to the side, keep eyes on the elevated foot, and count out loud “one thousand, two thousand,” etc. until reaching thirty seconds. There are four clues that the officer will look for. These clues are swaying while balancing, using the arms for balance, hopping, and putting the foot down.
Then there is the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, which is argued to be the most accurate determiner of intoxication. This test is aimed at assessing whether a person’s eyes have nystagmus, which is jerking movements in the eyes. An officer will hold something in front of the driver’s face, such as a small pen, and direct the person to follow the pen using only their eyes and watch to see if the eyes follow the pen smoothly or if the eyes jerk when following side-to-side. This test’s accuracy may be affected when a driver is wearing eyeglasses, contact lenses, or has suffered from a traumatic brain injury like a concussion.
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The walk-and-turn test is the final of the standardized field sobriety tests. Unlike the testing for nystagmus, it requires divided attention between a physical task and a mental task. Officers are instructed to have the driver perform this test on a hard, dry, level, non-slip surface, with sufficient room for the driver to complete nine heel-to-toe steps. The officer must give clear and specific instructions that the driver understands.
Officers will look for the driver to make several mistakes during this test, including starting too soon, stopping at any point while walking, not touching heel to toe, stepping off of the imaginary straight line, losing balance, taking the wrong number of steps, and using arms for balance. The officer will use these mistakes as indicators of impairment.
There have been several serious DUI arrests in New Britain in the past few years, including the arrest of a New Britain resident who was stopped and performed the standardized field sobriety tests, which ultimately led to her arrest. If you have been stopped by New Britain police officers and asked to perform field sobriety tests, you have the right to decline to take them and remain silent. If you have been arrested for a DUI in New Britain, Lady DUI may be able to help with your case and questions that you may have.
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