SFST Documentation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Why is it critical to document the exact time of each SFST administration?
- To calculate traffic volume at the time of stop
- To correlate test performance with BAC at the time of driving using retrograde extrapolation (Correct answer)
- To satisfy the body camera sync requirement
- To determine the officer's overtime eligibility
Correct answer: To correlate test performance with BAC at the time of driving using retrograde extrapolation
Recording exact SFST times allows toxicologists to use retrograde extrapolation to estimate the subject's BAC at the time of driving.
Question 2: An officer notices the subject is wearing high-heeled shoes before the One-Leg Stand test. What is the correct documentation action?
- Note that the subject was offered the option to remove footwear and record the subject's choice (Correct answer)
- Omit this detail since footwear is irrelevant to the test score
- Mark all OLS clues as invalid due to footwear
- Document only if the subject actually removed the shoes
Correct answer: Note that the subject was offered the option to remove footwear and record the subject's choice
SFST standards require offering the subject the option to remove footwear before the OLS, and documentation must reflect this offer and the subject's decision.
Question 3: In a prosecution, defense counsel challenges the officer's documentation because the field notes do not match the formal report. What is the best practice to prevent this?
- Destroy field notes once the formal report is complete
- Ensure field notes are preserved and consistent with the formal report (Correct answer)
- Transfer all information from memory without using field notes
- Submit field notes only if the defense specifically requests them
Correct answer: Ensure field notes are preserved and consistent with the formal report
Field notes must be preserved and consistent with formal reports because discrepancies can undermine officer credibility and case integrity.
Question 4: When documenting the subject's eye condition for HGN, why should the officer record whether the subject is wearing contact lenses?
- Contact lenses can cause false positives for lack of smooth pursuit in some individuals (Correct answer)
- Contact lenses require the officer to skip the HGN test entirely
- Contacts legally exempt the subject from the HGN evaluation
- Contacts affect BAC readings on preliminary breath tests
Correct answer: Contact lenses can cause false positives for lack of smooth pursuit in some individuals
Hard contact lenses in particular can create optical artifacts that may mimic nystagmus, so noting their presence protects the validity of HGN documentation.
Question 5: Which information is required on the standard SFST scoring sheet but is NOT typically found in a supplemental narrative report?
- Subject's date of birth
- Officer's printed name and badge number
- Individual clue-by-clue checkboxes for each standardized test (Correct answer)
- The location of the traffic stop
Correct answer: Individual clue-by-clue checkboxes for each standardized test
Standardized scoring sheets use individual clue checkboxes for systematic recording, while narrative reports describe observations in prose rather than checkbox format.
Question 6: A subject completes the Walk-and-Turn but uses 10 steps instead of the required 9 on the return. How should the officer document this?
- Do not note it since the wrong number of steps is not an official WAT clue
- Record it as an incorrect number of steps, which is one of the 8 standardized WAT clues (Correct answer)
- Count it only if the subject also missed the heel-to-toe requirement
- Mark the entire test invalid and start over
Correct answer: Record it as an incorrect number of steps, which is one of the 8 standardized WAT clues
Taking an incorrect number of steps is one of the 8 standardized Walk-and-Turn clues and must be recorded as observed.
Question 7: What role does documenting a subject's medical conditions or injuries play in SFST documentation?
- It automatically invalidates all SFST results
- It provides context that may explain clues and is necessary for a complete and accurate report (Correct answer)
- It is only required if the subject demands it in writing
- It is irrelevant because officers are not medical professionals
Correct answer: It provides context that may explain clues and is necessary for a complete and accurate report
Documenting disclosed medical conditions or visible injuries provides context for any observed clues and ensures the report is complete and defensible in court.
SFST Documentation 3
Why is it critical to document the exact time of each SFST administration?