A Florida Validation Study of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (S.F.S.T.) Battery

NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Researchhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15256401997PDFResearch PaperBurns, MarcellineDioquino, TeresaFlorida. Dept. of Transportation. Safety OfficeUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationFloridaAlcohol testsPolice traffic servicesDrunk driversAL-97-05-14-01During the years 1975 - 1981, a battery of field sobriety tests was developed under funding by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (Burns and Moskowitz, 1977; Tharp, Burns, and Moskowitz, 1981). The tests include Walk-and-Turn (WAT), One-Leg Stand (OLS), and Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN). NHTSA subsequently developed a training curriculum for the three-test battery, and initiated training programs nationwide. Traffic officers in all 50 states now have been trained to administer the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) to individuals suspected of impaired driving and to score their performance of the tests. A study was conducted in Colorado to examine the validity of the SFSTs when used by experienced officers in the field (Burns and Anderson, 1995). The design of the study insured that roadside testing was limited to the three-test battery, and that officers\u2019 decisions were not influenced either by the driver\u2019s performance of other behavioral tests or by measurement of BAC with a preliminary breath tester (PBT). The obtained data demonstrated that more than 90% of the officers\u2019 decisions to arrest drivers were confirmed by analysis of breath and blood specimens. The study reported here was conducted in collaboration with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) and expands the examination of the SFSTs to the state of Florida.129