title: Evaluation of the Effects of SFST Training on Impaired Driving Enforcement: [Traffic Safety Facts Research Note]
Creators: name: Stuster, Jack
name: Lim, Eunyoung
name: Berning, Amy
name: Agimi, Yll
name: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: National Center for Statistics and Analysis
Publisher: name: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: National Center for Statistics and Analysis
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/04gcfqs37
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2011
Subjects: classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/90891
subject: Alcohol tests
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/97419
subject: Before and after studies
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/97076
subject: Control groups
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/91759
subject: Drunk drivers
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/90848
subject: Drunk driving
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/89721
subject: Evaluation
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/91758
subject: Impaired drivers
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/90847
subject: Intoxication
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/91703
subject: Law enforcement personnel
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/97433
subject: Surveys
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/90919
subject: Traffic arrests
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/90917
subject: Traffic law enforcement
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/88650
subject: Training
classificationCode: https://trt.trb.org/term/90916
subject: Sobriety checkpoints

description: The Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) has become the standard pre-arrest procedure for evaluating motorists who are suspected of driving while impaired (DWI). However, some police agencies do not require their officers to receive SFST training. This study evaluates the benefits of SFST training for officers in performing DWI-related tasks. The New York City Police Department’s (NYCPD) Highway District was chosen as the study site, since although many NYCPD officers have traffic enforcement as a primary responsibility, few have been trained in administration of the SFST battery. A total of 102 NYCPD officers received 22 hours of standard SFST training. In order to evaluate the impact of SFST training on officers’ DWI-related activities, data on patrol hours, number of DWI arrests, and self-reported data on DWI arrest skills were gathered. For comparison purposes, such data were also gathered from a control group of officers who did not receive SFST training. Two types of comparisons were conducted. For officers selected for training, DWI-related activities data prior to their SFST training was compared with their data following SFST training. In the second type of analysis, self-reported measures on DWI-task-related activities of 80 SFST-trained officers were compared to those of 84 officers who did not receive SFST training. As a result of SFST training, officers reported increased confidence in performing DWI-related activities compared to pre-SFST training levels. The number of DWI arrests per officer patrol hour also increased significantly after training. The majority of officers who received SFST training considered the training to be highly beneficial. The results indicate SFST training may benefit most officers early in their careers. Among SFST-trained officers, those with less experience showed a greater improvement in confidence in DWI detection and abilities to testify in court when compared to non-SFST-trained officers with comparable years of experience. The overall results from this study indicate that SFST training may contribute to increasing an officer’s confidence and skill in performing DWI roadside assessments.