From the beginning of 2009 until August 31, 2010, about 11,500 drivers in Bexar County were arrested for DWI. In Texas, about 124,000 three-time offenders and 18,000 five-time offenders are arrested and convicted every year, and Texas’s DWI arrests account for about five percent of national DWI arrests. Each of these arrests means a trip to jail, fees, and the possibility of more serious legal consequences.
Before officers make a DWI arrest, they look for very specific cues that a driver is intoxicated. These cues are usually noticed while the driver is operating the vehicle when the officer approaches the driver, and during field sobriety tests. The following is a list of indicators that police officers use when they suspect a driver may be drunk.
While the Vehicle is in Motion
- Not staying in one lane
- Headlights aren’t turned on
- Making illegal turns
- Coming very close to another car or object
- Swerving
- Driving very slowly
- Not responding to traffic signals, or responding slowly
- Driving in the wrong lane
- A wide turn radius
When the Officer Approaches the Driver
- Slurred speech
- Bloodshot or red eyes
- Vehicle or breath smells like alcohol
- Inability to answer the officer’s questions
- Difficulty finding or retrieving license and registration
- Difficulty exiting the vehicle
- Repeating something multiple times during the conversation
- Argumentative, excessively angry, or making jokes
- Stumbling; using the vehicle for support while standing
- Alcohol bottles or cans
During Field Sobriety Tests
- During the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, the officer will ask the driver to follow an object, such as a pen or light, with his or her eyes. The officer is looking for eye-jerking and difficulty watching the object.
- During the Walk-and-Turn test, the officer will ask the driver to walk heel-to-toe along a straight line, then turn and walk in the opposite direction. The officer is looking for an inability to follow directions and trouble balancing.
- During the One-Leg-Stand test, the officer will ask the driver to stand with one leg raised 6 inches off the ground and count. The officer is looking for trouble balancing, hopping, difficulty counting, and not comprehending the instructions.