The Best DUI Tests
The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed a system for state-level training of law-enforcement officials in implementing a Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) in response to the level of fatalities caused by drunk drivers. The SFST is an objective evaluation of those suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol by a law-enforcement official; however, results from these evaluations are often challenged.
Other tests to determine whether an individual is driving under the influence are the breathalyzer and blood tests.
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Standardized Field Sobriety Test
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Officers often determine sobriety. The Standardized Field Sobriety Test consists of three tests: the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk-and-Turn, and One-Leg Stand.
A nystagmus is an involuntary jerking of the eye caused by vertigo or a disturbance in the inner ear. This condition is exacerbated by alcohol consumption, and during the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, the law enforcement official evaluates the driver for nystagmus.
During the Walk-and-Turn test, the driver who is suspected of driving under the influence is asked to walk nine steps from heel to toe and analyzed for comprehension of instruction and balance.
The One-Leg Stand test requires the driver to hold her foot about six inches off the ground and count aloud for about 30 seconds. This allows the officer to gauge balance and focus.
The results of the SFST are often contested because it is based on the analysis of the police officer rather than any scientific method.
Breathalyzer Test
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Breathalyzer tests tend to hold more weight than the SFST in court. However, 23 percent of the results from breathalyzer tests read higher Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels than accurate levels.
Factors that compromise the validity of the breathalyzer include physiological differences, body temperature, humidity, medications, and tester error.
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Blood Test
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Blood Tests Blood tests are the most accurate method of determining BAC levels. This test is the most controversial for several reasons, however. Health officials cannot force a patient to give a blood sample. In fact, the Hippocratic Oath ensures that doctors respect their patients' privacy, and this includes giving results only to their patient.
Although a driver suspected of Driving Under the Influence can be compelled to give blood by a judge in the instance of a serious accident or fatality, the time required to obtain this warrant allows the BAC level of the driver to be reduced.
Comparison of DUI Tests
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A study by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration shows that the SFST is 91 percent accurate, but this study was compromised due to several factors:
The officers in the study knew they were being observed, and when under observation, they're more meticulous about their performance. Officers in the field may be less strict about those they arrest for DUI.
The study essentially evaluated the officers' decisions rather than the actual tests.
Although the breathalyzer test sometimes reads a BAC level at higher levels than accurate, they will not read lower levels. Mouthwash will not help to dilute the alcohol that is already in the bloodstream and evident in the lungs and breath. Eating will help to slow the alcohol's absorption into the blood, but will not lower the BAC level.
The blood test is the most accurate test and the most invasive. Unless voluntarily given by the driver, the best and most accurate DUI test is the breathalyzer.
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References
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