So... you are stopped late at night at a DUI Checkpoint in Missouri or Kansas or for a traffic violation / speeding/ improper tags/ improper lane use, etc. and asked ; 'Have you had anything to drink tonight?' , if your answer is yes, you are in for the worst pop quiz of your life: the DUI / DWI Field Sobriety Tests.
The Big Three: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established these three tests as their standard of Field Sobriety Testing. The HGN (Eye test), the Walk and Turn, and the One Leg Stand test.
Other tests may include reciting, not singing, the alphabet forwards or backwards , counting, etc., depending on what city or county the checkpoint is that you are stopped in. Can you start with the letter C and stop on the letter R? (Again, no singing). Can you count backwards from 89 to 65 ? These tests are not NHTSA approved Field Sobriety Tests, but will be counted against you as signs of impairment should you fail.
While the easiest solution is to designate a driver, not drink and drive,or take a cab, this doesn't always happen. You feel alright to drive home and get pulled over for a traffic ticket, or a tag light or tail light that is out. It happens, and Law Enforcement Officers in both Missouri and Kansas working the late shift are experts in DUI / DWI detection. That is their job and they are very well trained, with hundreds of arrests for DUI, and they will stop you for any justifiable reason, especially late at night, to investigate a potential DUI .
However, it is not a chargeable offense to refuse the Field Sobriety Testing, it might make the Officer unhappy and you may be arrested anyway, but you do have the right to refuse any Field Sobriety testing. You also want to explain to the Officer any medical conditions that might prevent you from successfully completing the testing.
After taking or refusing to take the FST's, you may be asked to take a PBT (Portable Breath Test) at the scene of the initial stop. Refusing to take the PBT at the scene will result in a traffic ticket, and has no bearing on your Drivers License, however refusing to take the Breath Test at the station could have a bigger potential impact on your Drivers License and the resultant criminal case..
The first thing to consider is you are dealing with a police officer who is trained in DUI Law Enforcement, who can and is likely to arrest you for DUI. You want to be respectful. You do not want to be argumentative or resist the officer conducting the investigation.
What happens next? You are going to be asked to step outside of your car. You are required to turn your ignition off and exit your vehicle if an officer directs you to do so. What you do not have to do is answer any questions, or perform the Field Sobriety Tests. These tests are designed for failure. You are not given any opportunity to practice these tests.
Unfortunately the situation that you are facing at that point is that your chances of being arrested and being charged with DUI are pretty high. If you do the Field Sobriety Tests, you are going to be arrested because you are not going to pass them. If you refuse the Field Sobriety Tests, you probably will be arrested anyway.
The bottom line is, if they judged you on the way you walk, talk and stand normally, that would be completely different. But this is not the case, you are asked to walk heel-to-toe , with your arms straight down, and turn in a very specific method. All the while, you have traffic driving by and at least two or three police cars around you. The level of the testing surface may or may not be even, and may be poorly lit. Add to this the passing traffic, police emergency lights, and the odds of passing the Field Sobriety Tests are not great.
Charged with DUI or DWI in the Kansas City, Missouri Metro Area? Contact us today for a free consult, or submit a Free Case Evaluation form online.
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