TLSAE DUI Enforcement and Testing 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the three standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)?
- Walk-and-turn, breathalyzer, and finger-to-nose
- Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk-and-Turn, and One-Leg Stand (Correct answer)
- Blood test, breath test, and urine test
- Alphabet recitation, balance test, and coin pickup
Correct answer: Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk-and-Turn, and One-Leg Stand
NHTSA has validated three SFSTs: Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), Walk-and-Turn, and One-Leg Stand.
Question 2: What does the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test measure?
- Whether a driver can walk a straight line
- Involuntary jerking of the eye that increases with alcohol intoxication (Correct answer)
- A driver's ability to balance on one foot
- The driver's pupil reaction time
Correct answer: Involuntary jerking of the eye that increases with alcohol intoxication
HGN measures the involuntary jerking of the eye (nystagmus) that becomes more pronounced as BAC increases.
Question 3: In Florida, what is the consequence of refusing a chemical test (breath, blood, or urine) after a lawful DUI arrest?
- No consequence — refusal is always legal
- Automatic license suspension and the refusal can be used as evidence of guilt (Correct answer)
- A warning only for first offense
- The DUI charge is automatically dropped
Correct answer: Automatic license suspension and the refusal can be used as evidence of guilt
Refusing a chemical test after a lawful DUI arrest in Florida results in a license suspension and the refusal itself can be used as evidence of guilt in court.
Question 4: What is a 'per se' DUI law?
- A law requiring proof that the driver was visibly impaired
- A law making it automatically illegal to drive at or above a certain BAC, regardless of observed impairment (Correct answer)
- A law specific to commercial drivers only
- A law that only applies to repeat offenders
Correct answer: A law making it automatically illegal to drive at or above a certain BAC, regardless of observed impairment
Per se DUI laws make it a crime to drive at or above the legal BAC limit (0.08% in Florida) without any need to prove the driver appeared impaired.
Question 5: How does alcohol reach the brain after being consumed?
- It travels through the stomach lining directly to the brain
- It is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to the brain via circulation (Correct answer)
- It travels through the nervous system directly
- It is processed by the liver first and then sent to the brain
Correct answer: It is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to the brain via circulation
Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine, then carried by the blood to the brain and other organs.
Question 6: What does a preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) device — used at the roadside — measure?
- The exact BAC to be used in court proceedings
- An estimate of BAC to help the officer establish probable cause for arrest (Correct answer)
- The presence of drugs other than alcohol
- The driver's blood oxygen level
Correct answer: An estimate of BAC to help the officer establish probable cause for arrest
A roadside PAS or preliminary breath test gives an estimated BAC to help officers establish probable cause — it is not the evidentiary test used in court.
TLSAE DUI Enforcement and Testing 1
What are the three standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)?