Police officers at sobriety checkpoints will ask drivers for their license, registration, and proof of insurance. They will also ask questions about the driver's destination and if they have been drinking. Officers will look for signs of intoxication like bloodshot eyes or alcohol on the breath. Drivers that seem intoxicated will be asked to complete three standardized field sobriety tests: the horizontal gaze nystagmus, the walk and turn, and the one leg stand. Sobriety checkpoints result in many DUI arrests, so the best way to avoid one is to never drive after drinking alcohol.

1. Things You Should Expect in
a Sobriety Checkpoint

2. Police officers will ask for your
 Driver’s license
 Registration
 Proof of Car Insurance

3. Police officers will ask you questions
like:
 Where are you headed?
 Where are you coming from?
 Have you been drinking?

4. Police officers will observe signs of
intoxication such as:
 Bloodshot eyes
 Smell of alcohol
 Slurred speech
 Flushed face

5. If the officer thinks you have been
drinking, you’ll be doing field sobriety
tests.
Three standardized field sobriety tests:
 Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN)
 Walk-and-Turn (WAT)
 One-Leg Stand (OLS)

6. Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN)
 Nystagmus is the involuntary jerking,
twitching or bouncing of eyeball.
 Horizontal gaze nystagmus is the
lateral or horizontal jerking of the
eye when it gazes to the side,
which could be associated to
intoxication.
 Officers use a pen or a penlight.
They would ask the driver to look at
the pen and follow its direction.
(See photo)
(Source: NHTSA)

7. Walk-and-Turn (WAT)
 This is a divided attention test. The
driver would be instructed to walk
(heel-to-toe) nine steps in a
straight line. After the ninth step,
the driver must turn in the
opposite direction in the same
manner. (Refer to the photo)
(Source: FieldSobrietyTests.Net)

8. One-Leg Stand (OLS)
 In this test, the officer will ask the
driver to stand in one leg (his foot
six inches above the ground)
while maintaining his/her arms at
the side. (Refer to the photo)
 The test would last for 30
seconds.
 The driver should not sway, hop
or place the foot down during
the entire test. (Source:
SobrietyTest.org)

9. A lot of DUI arrests happened in
Sobriety Checkpoints. One way to
prevent DUI arrests from happening to
you is to not drink and drive in the first
place.