Walk and Turn Test

WAT field tests

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Walk
• and
• Turn
• Test

[gneeley]

"Looking at your feet" is a required instruction in the DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Manual 2006 Edition Session VIII, page VIII-9. The concept in my belief is that if you are looking down at your feet, it is harder to keep your balance because you are not looking at the horizon. Therefore, it is designed to make them fail. However, the manual gives no reason behind this.

[Karozza124]

I like how they got a black guy to play the offender...

[thatguysaid]

It's very easy to do this or any of these tests in a brightly lit studio room, on a flat surface, with no distractions and no consequences for failure.

It's another thing entirely to do these tests when you have just been pulled over, in the dark, on the road somewhere, the police lights are flashing, the ground is uneven and there is an officer with a flashlight standing just a few feet away with a notepad or clipboard.

Just saying there is the chance of false positives...

[sauer800]

If a person who is trying to balance looks up at the horizon, they can balance better. If the driver is looking at their feet, the inner ear fluid, which alcohol affects will throw the balance off. If your SFST trained..youd know this.

[sauer800]

This test along with the HGN and one legged stand...when done correctly can spot the impaired driver with a BAC of .10 or higher. Its reasonable to assume that any person who is sober and under the age of 65 can complete or pass these tests.

[Screwlwork]

have you noticed the officers can always perform well when they know the tests and what they are looking for beforehand?

[Screwlwork]

your so right, many a fellow law school and business school students cannot pass these tests sober. I'm not kidding, this is from multiple grad schools and law schools.

[DobermansRock]

I was almost killed. I chased the driver down to the point he hit me. Now I am down for DWI and Agrivated assault with a deadly weapon. My life is being turned inside out right now. Nobody was hurt. If inches matter I would have been hurt or dead. I did not pass the field but I passed the office sobriety test. I was shaking for the first and thats that. It was not a fair test at all.

[DobermansRock]

That would fuck up most sober people.

[DobermansRock]

Exactly. And asking you to follow a pen with your eyes when you cannot even see it because there is the flood lights behind his hand.