How Does DUI Finger-to-Nose Test Conducted In Florida?

By author on August 21st, 2008

Reader’s Question:

I heard that there are several roadside tests that are being conducted during a DUI arrest. Is it typical for a police officer in Palm Beach, Florida to conduct a finger-to-nose test and how is it being conducted?

Dallas

Palm Beach, FL

The finger-to-nose test is a gambit employed by police officers when doing an investigation on a driver suspected of DUI. This kind of test is not often used in Palm Beach, Florida because it is not a standardized field sobriety test recognized by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). This test is highly considered as designed to set up the driver for failure. A police officer typically conducts field sobriety tests to establish probable cause for a DUI arrest and to gather evidence to support a DUI case.

During the finger-to-nose test, the officer would instruct the motorist to tip his/her head back with eyes closed and touch the index finger to the nose. The officer would also tell the motorist to continue touching the left or right index finger to the nose at random. The clues of intoxication that the officer is looking for include inability to touch finger directly to tip of the nose, inability to follow instructions, muscle tightening or tremors, swaying or lack of depth perception. The officer would also make a note of any statements made by the motorist during the test.

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