DUI Driving Symptoms
The first thing which attracts a police officer's attention in most Las Vegas DUI cases is the person's driving. Officers in Las Vegas and Nevada generally are trained to be looking for certain driving symptoms — often with the aid of a book published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration entitled Guide for Detecting Drunk Drivers at Night: A DUI Detection Guide. The booklet is based upon federally-financed field research and identifies the 19 most common indicators of drunk driving:
- 65Turning with Wide Radius
- 65Straddling Center or Lane Maker
- 60Appearing to be Drunk
- 60Almost Striking Object or Vehicle
- 60Weaving
- 55Driving on Other Than Designated Roadway
- 55Swerving
- 50Slow Speed (more than 20 mph below limit)
- 50Stopping (without cause) in Traffic Lane
- 50Drifting
- 45Following Too Closely
- 45Tires on Center or Lane Maker
- 45Braking Erratically
- 45Driving Into Opposing or Crossing Traffic
- 40Signaling Inconsistent with Driving Actions
- 35Stopping Inappropriately (other than in lane)
- 35Turning Abruptly or Illegally
- 30Accelerating or Decelerating Rapidly
- 30Headlights Off
Although questionable to say the least, the list of symptoms include the mathematical probability that the driver is intoxicated. For example, the research indicates that the chances are 60 out of 100
that a driver who is weaving
has a blood-alcohol concentration above the legal limit. (Note: speeding is not listed as a symptom.)
Of course, the opposites must also be true: 40 out of 100 drivers appearing to be drunk
to Las Vegas police officers, for example, are not under the influence of alcohol. Similarly, 40 out of 100 drivers who are weaving or who almost strike another vehicle are also legally sober.
