Orange County DUI Arrests

In Orange County, the number of arrests for DUIOnce the officer feels that the driver is under the
cases in 1998 was approximately 14,000, according toinfluence, the officer will ask the driver to take a field
statistics by MADD (Mothers against Drunk Driving).sobriety test. The driver may refuse to take the test,
The number of victims is 2000 for the same year andbut the refusal may be considered as evidence later
therefore the number of arrests per victim is 7.during the trial. Hence it is better to oblige the
A DUI arrest is made only after certain tests and theauthorities. Further it should also be noted that in
officer declares that the accused has failed. When anCalifornia, an attorney can't be consulted before taking
officer stops the car suspecting that the driver is underthe test.
the influence, the officer looks for traditional symptomsThe common definition of field sobriety test is 'any
of intoxication such as flushed face, bloodshot eyes,number of tests used by a law enforcement officer,
odor of alcohol of breath and slurred speech.usually on the roadside, to determine whether the
According to the National Highway Trafficdriver is impaired'. FSTs test balance, coordination and
Administration, the symptoms that officers look forability to divide his or her attention among many tasks.
when searching for drunken drivers are turning with aThe standardized tests are heel-to-toe, one leg stand
wide radius, straddling the center of lane marker andand horizontal gaze nystagmus.
almost striking object or other vehicles.