this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2023
8 points (72.2% liked)
Public Freakout
2504 readers
1 users here now
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Genuinely curious. Why are subjective field sobriety tests still done in the US versus roadside saliva drug tests or breathalysers for alcohol.
Don't forget for them to also let you off the hook if you know someone or are important (and like you).
Easier for the cops to detain people
Saliva would require a warrant, but they can require a breathalyzer test without a warrant. Breathalyzers need to be regularly calibrated, so it could partly be laziness in that regard. But I'm pretty sure it's mostly because they want to prove you are not safe to drive regardless of your blood alcohol content. The longer the stop, the more opportunity there is to find something against you.