obx dwi lawyer

The One Leg Stand Test | What Drivers Should Know About SFST

June 3, 2026 | by Danny Glover

The One Leg Stand, or “OLS,” is one of three “verified” Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alongside the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus and the Walk-and-Turn test. If pulled over on suspicion of impaired driving on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, there’s a reasonable chance the charging officer requested the suspect to submit to the One Leg Stand test.

The One-Leg Stand is a type of divided-attention test. The officer instructs a driver to stand on one leg, raise the other approximately six inches off the ground, keep the raised leg straight, point the toe of the raised foot, and count aloud until told to stop. Training materials direct the investigating officer to time the driver for 30 seconds. That sounds relatively straightforward. Like other field sobriety tests, however, the administration, interpretation, and reliability of the One Leg Stand can be far more complicated than the basic instructions suggest.

Whether the One Leg Stand is actually a reliable indicator of impairment depends on officer training, adherence to proper procedures and protocols, roadside conditions, and the individual being tested. SFST results are regularly used as evidence in DWI prosecutions. They support arrest decisions and the determination of probable cause to arrest. They get presented to judges and juries. In North Carolina, courts apply N.C.G.S. § 20-138.1 to evaluate impaired driving charges, and the use of OLS evidence in that process can make or break a case.

Hatteras DWI Charges | 5 Things to Know After an Arrest

May 7, 2026 | by Danny Glover

A DWI arrest in Hatteras can feel different from a charge in a larger city, even though North Carolina’s impaired driving law applies statewide. Hatteras is not just another dot on a map. Hatteras Village sits near the southwestern end of Hatteras Island, connected to the rest of the Outer Banks by NC 12 and to Ocracoke by the Hatteras Inlet Ferry.

That geography can matter after an arrest. It can affect how the officer describes the roadside encounter, how field sobriety tests were performed, how body camera footage looks, how quickly family members can respond, and how difficult it may be for someone to return to court.

Just because someone is arrested on the Outer Banks, sometimes in the middle of nowhere, that does not change the elements of the charge. North Carolina’s impaired driving statute, N.C.G.S. § 20-138.1, applies when the State alleges that the defendant drove a vehicle on a highway, street, or public vehicular area while under the influence of an impairing substance, after consuming enough alcohol to have an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more at a relevant time after driving, or with any amount of a Schedule I controlled substance or metabolite in blood or urine.

Can you get a DWI on a Golf Cart in North Carolina?

July 21, 2022 | by Danny Glover

When most people think of DWI charges, they understand the NC DWI laws apply to things like cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

You may not know that “drunk driving” can include other types of vehicles.

For example, during summer vacation on the OBX, many people like driving around on golf carts, electric scooters, and bikes.

OBX DWI CHECKPOINTS

January 3, 2021 | by Danny Glover

In a published decision dated December 31, 2020, the North Carolina Court of Appeals again weighs in on DWI checkpoints in North Carolina.

State v. Cobb (North Carolina vs. Deshandra Cobb) sets forth the legal standards and considerations associated with roadblocks, sobriety checkpoints, and DWI checkpoints in North Carolina.

The Honorable Donna Stroud, who has recently been appointed Chief Judge of NC COA dissents from the majority opinion granting in part the Defendant’s appeal, remanding matter.