Patrol and Traffic
What this domain tests
Patrol and Traffic tests the legal foundation of the traffic stop: reasonable suspicion, probable cause, OVI detection, implied consent, citation discretion, and safe positioning.
Core rules
- Terry stop. A stop requires reasonable suspicion, based on specific and articulable facts, that a person is or is about to be engaged in criminal activity. Ohio courts apply Terry v. Ohio directly.
- Arrest. ORC 2935.03 allows warrantless arrest for a misdemeanor committed in the officer's presence; for a felony, reasonable grounds suffice.
- OVI. ORC 4511.19 prohibits operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination. The NHTSA standardized field sobriety tests are horizontal gaze nystagmus (six clues), walk-and-turn (eight clues), and one-leg stand (four clues).
- Implied consent. ORC 4511.191 provides that a driver arrested for OVI is deemed to have consented to a chemical test; a refusal triggers an administrative license suspension. Read the advisement accurately and document the refusal.
- PBT. A preliminary breath test is a screening tool for probable cause, not the evidential test.
Worked example
An officer sees a car drift over the fog line twice, then brake hard for a green light. The stop is valid: lane violation plus erratic speed are specific facts. The driver has glassy eyes, slurred speech, and admits to drinking. The officer administers HGN and observes six clues, then walk-and-turn with four clues. Based on the totality, the officer arrests for OVI and reads the implied-consent advisement. The driver refuses. The officer documents the refusal and completes the ALS paperwork. Reasoning: each step builds probable cause; the refusal is a legal event, not a personal affront, and must be documented precisely.
Traps
- Saying "I smelled alcohol" without recording time, place, and observations.
- Administering SFSTs on a slope, gravel, or beside traffic.
- Treating a PBT result as proof of BAC at trial.
- Failing to note medical conditions or medications that affect coordination.