In most states, when you choose to get behind the wheel of a car, you are giving your informed consent to drunk driving tests if you are suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Suspicion can be due to the way you drive-taking corners too wide or too sharp, going over the center line, running stop signs, weaving, swerving, going slower than the other traffic, braking erratically, and driving in other ways that are not normal. If an officer suspects that you are driving while under the influence, they will pull you over and you will be subjected to drunk driving tests to allow them to determine if you need to be arrested and taken off of the road. There are several tests that they can give you both on the road and at the police station. What are they?
Field sobriety tests. These are the most common first tests. They include walking in a straight line, counting, standing on one leg, and finger to the nose tests. If these are not done correctly or if you are noticeably impaired, then the officer(s) may decide that you need to be tested further or arrested. The basic battery of tests, including the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, the walk-and-turn test, and the one-leg stand tests, are the most common that are given to drivers who are suspected of driving while under the influence.
Breathalyzer tests. There are several different kinds of breathalyzers that are used to test the blood alcohol concentration of alcohol. These use different technologies, including infrared spectroscopy that allows them to get an estimate of your BAC to determine if you are under the limit. All states in the United States have a limit of .08 and if your BAC is at this level or higher, then you will be arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and will face punishments and penalties that you do not want to deal with.
After your arrest and when you get to the police station, you will be tested again to doublecheck the results that were found on the field. This can be done through another breath test or it can be a blood or even a urine test to determine your alcohol level. The breath test gives immediate results, but the blood and urine has to be sent out to a lap, which means that it will take a little bit to get results. This is another test that is given to just ensure that their evidence is solid. The only issue with this is that it gives the alcohol content at the time of the testing, rather than when you were driving.
If you choose to get behind the wheel of your car when you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you have to know that you are facing sure punishment. The drunk driving tests, whether field tests or breath tests, will be administered when you are pulled over and once you are arrested, further testing will be done at the police station to help them to have all of the evidence for their case. Responsible driving means that you refrain from drinking when you get behind the wheel. If you choose to drive when you have been drinking, you deserve any punishment that you get.