Massachusetts DWI DUI OUI Field Sobriety Test Police Training Manual

• forgets to produce both documents;

• produces documents other than the ones requested;

• fails to see the license, registration or both while searching through wallet or purse;

• fumbles or drops wallet, purse, license or registration;

• is unable to retrieve documents using fingertips.

The second technique, asking interrupting or distracting questions, forces the driver to divide attention between searching for the license or registration and answering a new question. While the driver is responding to the request for license, registration or both, you ask an unrelated question like, “Without looking at your watch, what time is it right now?” Possible evidence of impairment may be disclosed by the interrupting or distracting question. Be alert for the driver who:

• ignores the question and concentrates only on the license or registration search;

• forgets to resume the search after answering the question;

• supplies a grossly incorrect answer to the question.

The third technique, asking unusual questions, is employed after you have obtained the driver’s license and registration. Using this technique, you seek verifying information through unusual questions. For example, while holding the driver’s license, you might ask the driver, “What is your middle name?”

There are many such questions which the driver normally would be able to answer easily, but which might prove difficult if the driver is impaired, simply because they are unusual questions. Unusual questions require the driver to process information; this can be especially difficult when the driver does not expect to have to process information. For example, a driver may respond to the question about the middle name by giving a first name. In this case the driver ignored the unusual question and responded instead to a usual—but unasked— question.

ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES

Know if there are any judicial restraints in reference to these tests.

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