What is the one leg stand field sobriety test?
The one-leg stand field sobriety test is given by a police officer to someone they suspect has been drinking and driving, or impaired in some other way. The suspect is instructed to stand with one foot approximately six inches off the ground and count aloud by thousands (one thousand-one, one thousand-two, etc.) until told to put the foot down by the police officer. The police officer times the subject for 30 seconds during this field sobriety test.
The officer looks for four indicators of impairment:
- swaying while balancing
- using arms to balance
- hopping to maintain balance
- putting the foot down
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research indicates that 83 percent of individuals who exhibit two or more indicators in the one leg stand test will have a BAC of 0.08 of greater (Stuster and Burns, 1998) and can be cited for DUI / DWI according current DUI laws.