Motorists stopped for DUI / DWI in Florida often must take field sobriety tests before being arrested. There are two types of field sobriety tests – standardized and non-standardized. The walk and turn test is one of three standardized field sobriety tests recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The walk and turn test isn’t anything like the tests taken in school, because it’s designed to be failed. The ‘test’ exists merely to supply probable cause for an arrest and additional evidence for a drunk driving prosecution. However, the results of the walk and turn test can be effectively challenged. A Florida attorney who concentrates on DUI / DWI defense can use the results of the walk and turn test to prove that the driver was not impaired.

Like other field sobriety tests, the walk and turn test is a divided-attention exercise that forces the driver to concentrate on two tasks at once. No matter how the driver performs, a prosecutor will argue that the driver’s performance is proof of mental or physical impairment. 

The walk and turn test consists of two parts. The driver is instructed to stand heel-to-toe, arms down, while listening to the test instructions. The officer then directs the motorist to take nine heel-to-toe steps along a real or imaginary line, turn, and take nine heel-to-toe steps back in the other direction. The officer watches closely during the test performance for any signs that the driver is impaired.

Police are trained to watch for eight indications of intoxication: An inability to balance during instructions, starting the test too soon, stopping while walking, inability to touch heel to toe, stepping off of the line, using his or her arms to balance, loss of balance during the turn or inability to turn correctly, and taking the wrong number of steps.

If the officer spots two or more of these signs, he or she will assume that the driver has a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .10 percent or greater, and a DUI / DWI arrest will follow. However, many of the “clues” noted in the walk and turn test can stem from physical problems other than alcohol, such as injury or illness. Alcohol intoxication spurs both mental and physical impairment, but mental impairment always occurs first. If the driver demonstrates only physical impairment, it must stem from a source other than alcohol intoxication.

Many drivers shouldn’t even take the walk and turn test. The test is not supposed to be performed by individuals with back or leg injuries, drivers 65 or older, or those with inner-ear disorders. Taking the test on uneven ground, or while wearing shoes with heels higher than two inches, also will affect the driver’s test performance.