Ehh, she drifts outside of the lane (could have just been due to elderly). They then harass her with three different DUI tests, which she seems to pass just fine (watch the pen with eyes, walk the straight line, blow into the breathalyzer). She's visibly flustered, but who wouldn't be. After passing the tests she should have been let go, but they didn't.
They could have been following her for who knows how long until she did something that they could pull her over for.
This incident demonstrates that there are drivers out on the roads that are impaired due to one reason or another that may or may not be due to alcohol. As you stated, elderly drivers being just one. She was impaired as far as her driving goes and she could not follow instructions and seemed confused. The fact that she stopped on a busy street and had to be told to pull over, more than once, to a safer place indicates she does not possess some very basic understanding of the rules of driving.
According to statistics, over 25% of drivers on the road are driving with some kind of impairment due to pharmaceuticals alone. I would say the numbers are probably even higher. Working in health care for decades, I know the types of medications drivers are taking. The patients themselves do not think the medications they are taking cause impairment - but they do. Sadly, I have had to intervene when a patient appeared to be too impaired to operate a motor vehicle. It is not an easy thing to remove someone's driving privileges. Now we can add to the mix, the vaxxine impaired. To be honest, I do not feel safe with her on the road given what appears to be her mental confusion.
In Mrs. West's defense however, the instructions given by the officer, that seemed absolutely clear to her, the average citizen already flustered by being pulled over and being instructed to stand in the street while in a noisy traffic area, could easily become confused and not follow the instructions to this officer's satisfaction. It also did appear that the officer was not quite sure about the impairment and whether it could be attributed to substances. The back and forth of the officer only added to Mrs. West's confusion.
I have always objected to balance tests because many adults, especially older adults, cannot balance on one foot or do the heel toe walk and keep their balance. Hell, I can't even do it and I don't drink. In addition, the officer did not communicate well. I would be unable to understand her given the same situation and she herself did not appear to know the instructions well enough to read them off her paper in a manner that would make them clear. The West's seem very certain that when the blood test comes back it will show her impairment was not due to alcohol. But, I still believe she was driving while impaired and that must be addressed.
Ehh, she drifts outside of the lane (could have just been due to elderly). They then harass her with three different DUI tests, which she seems to pass just fine (watch the pen with eyes, walk the straight line, blow into the breathalyzer). She's visibly flustered, but who wouldn't be. After passing the tests she should have been let go, but they didn't.
They could have been following her for who knows how long until she did something that they could pull her over for.
This incident demonstrates that there are drivers out on the roads that are impaired due to one reason or another that may or may not be due to alcohol. As you stated, elderly drivers being just one. She was impaired as far as her driving goes and she could not follow instructions and seemed confused. The fact that she stopped on a busy street and had to be told to pull over, more than once, to a safer place indicates she does not possess some very basic understanding of the rules of driving.
According to statistics, over 25% of drivers on the road are driving with some kind of impairment due to pharmaceuticals alone. I would say the numbers are probably even higher. Working in health care for decades, I know the types of medications drivers are taking. The patients themselves do not think the medications they are taking cause impairment - but they do. Sadly, I have had to intervene when a patient appeared to be too impaired to operate a motor vehicle. It is not an easy thing to remove someone's driving privileges. Now we can add to the mix, the vaxxine impaired. To be honest, I do not feel safe with her on the road given what appears to be her mental confusion.
In Mrs. West's defense however, the instructions given by the officer, that seemed absolutely clear to her, the average citizen already flustered by being pulled over and being instructed to stand in the street while in a noisy traffic area, could easily become confused and not follow the instructions to this officer's satisfaction. It also did appear that the officer was not quite sure about the impairment and whether it could be attributed to substances. The back and forth of the officer only added to Mrs. West's confusion.
I have always objected to balance tests because many adults, especially older adults, cannot balance on one foot or do the heel toe walk and keep their balance. Hell, I can't even do it and I don't drink. In addition, the officer did not communicate well. I would be unable to understand her given the same situation and she herself did not appear to know the instructions well enough to read them off her paper in a manner that would make them clear. The West's seem very certain that when the blood test comes back it will show her impairment was not due to alcohol. But, I still believe she was driving while impaired and that must be addressed.