For the officer to determine if there is probable cause to make an arrest The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established a set of three exercises and the purpose of FSTs is described below. Field sobriety tests, sometimes called roadside sobriety tests, are used to enforce DUI laws. A police officer typically performs a three-part field sobriety test after a traffic stop. The 3 tests that make up the SFST are the horizontal gaze Nystagmus (HGN), the walk-and-turn, and the one-leg stand tests.
1. Walk and Turn
The officer will ask you to walk in a straight line heel-to-toe for nine steps. The test an officer routinely gives is the “Walk and Turn.” After, the officer will ask you to make a tight turn and then walk back nine steps.
2. Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test
The officer will commonly begin by administering the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test (HGN) if you decided to accept the request for a Field Sobriety Test. The officer will pull out a penlight and ask you to look at the light without moving your head. If you have been drinking your eyes are supposed to jerk.
3. One Leg Stand
The standard procedure for administering the one-leg stand requires an officer both to explain and demonstrate the test. You will be asked to balance on one leg and count to 30 seconds if the officer administers the One Leg Stand test.
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