How Long Does It Take to Sober Up?

A field sobriety test (FST) is a proven method used by police to check if someone is too drunk to drive safely. The officer will request that you execute specific tasks to evaluate your coordination, balance, speaking, and cognitive clarity. The confidence levels of some of these tests exceed 90%, indicating their efficacy in most situations.

HGN is when eyeballs jerk involuntarily when you rotate your eyes at a high peripheral angle. When you are not sober, this jerking is somehow exaggerated and will occur at very lesser angles.

During the test, the police may ask you to follow a moving object with your eyes. This could be their finger, a flashlight, or a pen. They will move the objects slowly, from side to side, while they scrutinize your eyeballs to determine:

• The angle of Jerking Initiation: Officers note if the jerking begins within a 45-degree angle from the center.
• Maximum Deviation Jerking: They assess whether the eye exhibits pronounced jerking when fully turned to its limit.
• Smooth Pursuit: Finally, they check if the eye can follow the moving object smoothly or if it struggles.

If at least four signs are observed between both eyes, you will likely have a BAC score of 0.10 or above. Research by the NHTSA shows that this testing procedure is about 77% accurate for those who took it.

Walk-and-Turn Test

During the walk-and-turn test, a police officer will ask you to step out of your vehicle. You will walk in a straight line for 9 steps. Then, you will turn on one leg and walk back for 9 more steps. At least one of the following seven signs of impairment will indicate intoxication to the officer:

• Starting before instructions are completed.
• Difficulty maintaining balance.
• Inability to touch heel-to-toe.
• Losing balance while turning.
• Stopping to regain balance.
• Incorrect number of steps.
• Using arms for balance.

The NHTSA reports that if a driver displays two or more signs in the walk-and-turn test, the chances that they have a BAC of 0.10 or above are 68%.

In the performance phase of the test, you will be asked to raise one leg off the ground while keeping the other six inches above the ground. Keep your arms by your sides. Count as you lift one leg up and down: “one thousand one, two thousand two,” and so on. Focus on the foot that is raised.

You will do this task until the officer tells you to halt. For this 30-second assessment, the officer will watch for four key indicators of impairment:

• Any noticeable swaying of the body while balancing on one leg.
• Raising the arms to maintain stability can indicate difficulty.
• Attempting to hop to keep balance suggests impairment.
• Lowering the elevated foot before instructed indicates a loss of control.

The NHTSA reports that there is about a 65% chance a driver’s blood-alcohol content is 0.10 or higher. This is true if they show at least two of the signs during the one-leg stand test.