Massachusetts DWI DUI OUI Field Sobriety Test Police Training Manual

d. Written matter or documentation.
e. Testimony.

FIELD SOBRIETY TEST—Any one of several roadside tests that can be used to determine whether a suspect is impaired.

HORIZONTAL GAZE NYSTAGMUS (HGN)—An involuntary jerking of the eyes as they gaze toward the side.

ILLEGAL PER SE—Unlawful in and of itself. Used to describe a law which makes it illegal to drive while having a statutorily prohibited Blood Alcohol Concentration.

NYSTAGMUS—An involuntary jerking of the eyes.

ONE-LEG STAND (OLS)—A divided attention field sobriety test.

PERSONAL CONTACT—The second phase in the DWI detection process. In this phase the officer observes and interviews the driver face to face; determines whether to ask the driver to step from the vehicle; and observes the driver’s exit and walk from the vehicle.

PRE-ARREST SCREENING—The third phase in the DWI detection process. In this phase the officer administers field sobriety tests to determine whether there is probable cause to arrest the driver for DWI, and administers or arranges for a preliminary breath test.

PRELIMINARY BREATH TEST (PBT)—A pre-arrest breath test administered during investigation of a possible DWI violator to obtain an indication of the person’s blood alcohol concentration.

PSYCHOPHYSICAL—”Mind/Body.” Used to describe field sobriety tests that measure a person’s ability to perform both mental and physical tasks.

STANDARDIZED FIELD SOBRIETY TEST BATTERY—A battery of tests, Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk-and-Turn, and One-Leg Stand, administered and evaluated in a standardized manner to obtain validated indicators of impairment based on NHTSA research.

TIDAL BREATH—Breath from the upper part of the lungs and mouth.

VEHICLE IN MOTION—The first phase in the DWI detection process. In this phase the officer observes the vehicle in operation, determines whether to stop the vehicle, and observes the stopping sequence.

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