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How Good Are Cops at Detecting Intoxication?

By Lawrence Taylor

The drunk driving case rests heavily upon the subjective opinions of the arresting officer ? the abilities of that officer to correctly assess DUI symptoms of intoxication: observations of driving, personal symptoms (slurred speech, flushed face, etc.), answers to questions, performance on field sobriety tests. It is his DUI report (and his opinion in that report) which will largely determine what, if any, criminal charges will be filed by the prosecutor.  It is the officer’s decision which will or will not result in a suspension of the driver?s license, his testimony at trial which will largely decide the guilt or innocence of the person he arrests. Just how expert is the average police officer at judging levels of intoxication in a DUI case? To answer this question, researchers at Rutger University?s Alcohol Behavior Research Laboratory conducted a series of experiments...continue to full post

Full post as published by DUI Blog on February 25, 2008 (boomark / email).