Police in Virginia might pull a driver over if they suspect them of driving while intoxicated. Often, they have the person perform field sobriety tests to determine whether this might be the case.
Nystagmus test
The Nystagmus is a field sobriety test that allows the police officer to notice how the person’s eyes move. The officer has a driver follow their finger or an object while moving it a few inches from their face. If the individual can’t smoothly follow the motions, they can fail.
Standing on one leg test
The standing on one leg test lets the police officer check how well the person can balance. Drivers are required to stand on one leg while performing another action such as counting by thousands. The officer will note whether the person sways or loses their balance to determine if they are under the influence.
Walk and turn test
The walk and turn test is performed while taking a few steps with heel-to-toe motions. The officer will tell the person to turn around and walk back the same way and notice whether they lose their balance, fail to walk with their feet heel-to-toe and whether they lose count of the number of steps they’re required to take. If the person fails, the officer might make a DWI arrest.
Finger-to-nose test
The finger-to-nose test requires a person to touch their nose while standing straight, feet together while their eyes are closed and their arms are extended. The police officer can consider the person intoxicated if they lose their balance or are unable to touch their nose.
Romberg balance test
This field sobriety test requires the person to stand straight with their head tilted back and eyes closed. Then, they must estimate how long it takes for 30 seconds to go by while the officer watches for signs of impairment.