In addition to training, it's essential officers know the three phases of an impaired driving investigation. When law enforcement officers are on patrol, there are certain steps they will take to identify and arrest impaired drivers. There are three phases to an impaired driving investigation and arrest. While specific training, procedures, and guidelines may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the following three stages (vehicle in motion phase, personal contact phase, and pre-arrest screening phase) provide insights for identifying impaired drivers and gathering enough evidence to make an arrest. All three of the phases need to be documented in the final police report. This will assist in the proper charging and adjudication of impaired driving cases. Three Phases of an Impaired Driving Investigation are Essential for a Proper Police Report
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Each phase is explained in detail in the following paragraphs. PHASE 1: VEHICLE IN MOTION
Ken Stecker Former Michigan Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Member, MADD Law Enforcement Committee
In this phase, the officer is observing how the vehicle is being operated and how the driver stops when pulled over, during which time the officer may see initial signs of impairment. Below are 24 cues that can be considered to detect impaired drivers. The driving cues were developed from a list of more than 100 that have been found to predict (12) BACs of 0.08 percent or greater.
Problems Maintaining Proper Lane Position (1) Weaving (2) Swerving (3)Weaving across lane lines (4)Straddling a lane line (5) Drifting (6)Turning with a wide radius (7)Almost striking a vehicle or other object
Problems with Speed and Braking (8)Stopping problems (too far, too short, or too jerky) (9)Accelerating or decelerating for no apparent reason (10)Varying speed (11)Slow speed (10+ mph under limit)
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving ®
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