Posted by: rob
White Christmas - 22/12/2004 14:19
I don't object to scientific drug testing of people driving dangerously but I do object to this ridiculous State Trooper style shenanigans:
bbc news linkI'm not sure how well I'd do on some of those at the best of times, but I'm now damn tempted to make it my mission to learn to pass every test under the influence of whatever Santa might be dealing out the back of the sleigh this year.
Rob
Posted by: tfabris
Re: White Christmas - 22/12/2004 15:47
Here in the US, I don't think you can be convicted of drunk driving on the basis of those tests. They are just things that the trooper can do as a quick check to see whether he should bother taking you back to the patrol car for the BAC breath test, or back to the station for a blood test.
When the trooper does those tests, they aren't done "pass/fail", it's not like you have to be able to do everything exactly right. They're just activities to make you balance or use certain cognitive skills that are impaired when you're drunk, so that you'll show it more readily by swaying or slurring your speech.
My brother tells the story of having been pulled over when he had too much to drink, and the troopers' test was a finger dexterity test: Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of each finger (on the same hand) in a 1234,4321 pattern repeatedly. Since my brother is a piano player, he passed and the trooper let him go.
Posted by: msaeger
Re: White Christmas - 22/12/2004 20:55
I think they just like messing with people. I have never consumed alcohol but I got stopped one time for this. The guy kept asking questions and checking stuff until I said just give me the breathalizer test. He did and it was negative of course then he seemed disapointed and left.
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: White Christmas - 22/12/2004 21:24
Of course, being drunk isn't the only way to be imparied while driving. Being stoned, which is the point of the article linked, is an obvious other way which isn't easily testable in the field. Other ways can include medications from Nyquil to muscle relaxants, being sleepy, and so on.
In my opinion, if that cop thought you were not fit to drive but gave up after a failed breathalyser test, he's not doing his job. Of course, it's more likely that he was just harrassing you because you did some minor stupid thing on the road and had no good reason for pulling you over at all, other than that it was quote time.