MA Police Training Manual - OUI Stop Field Sobriety Tests
and walk
from the vehicle. The most significant
psychophysical tests are the three scientifically validated structured tests
that you administer at roadside.
PRELIMINARY BREATH-TEST
The preliminary breath test (PBT) can help to
corroborate all other evidence and to confirm your judgment as to whether the
suspect is impaired. Usually PBT results cannot be introduced as evidence
against the driver in court. However, state laws vary in this regard.
THE ARREST
DECISION
The DWI detection process concludes with the
arrest decision. This decision is based on all of the evidence you have obtained
during all three detection phases: on observation of the vehicle in motion and
during the stopping sequence; on face to face observation and interview of the
driver.
DIVIDED ATTENTION TESTS
INTRODUCTION
Many of the most reliable and useful
psychophysical tests employ the concept of divided attention: they require the
subject to concentrate on two things at once. Driving is a complex divided
attention task. In order to operate a vehicle safely, drivers must
simultaneously control steering, acceleration and braking; react appropriately
to a constantly changing environment; and perform many other tasks. Alcohol and
many other drugs reduce a person’s ability to divide attention. Impaired
drivers often ignore the less critical tasks of driving in order to focus their
impaired attention on the more critical tasks. For example, a driver may ignore
a traffic signal and focus instead on speed control.
Even when they are impaired, many people can
handle a single, focused attention task fairly well. For example, a driver may
be able to keep the vehicle well within the proper traffic lane, as long as the
road remains fairly straight. However, most people when impaired cannot
satisfactorily divide their attention to handle multiple tasks at once.
The concept of divided attention has been
applied to psychophysical testing. Field sobriety tests that simulate the divided
attention characteristics of driving have been developed and are being used by
police departments nationwide. The best of these tests exercise the same mental
and physical capabilities that a person needs to drive safely:
• information processing;
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