DUI Defendant's Facts On Field Sobriety Tests

Are you currently facing a charge of driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol? If you are, then you most probably were required to undergo one or two field sobriety tests so that the arresting officer could decide if you were high or drunk. Anybody who is faced with a DUI in the state of California needs to contact a DUI attorney immediately. Meanwhile, it's also wise to educate yourself about field sobriety tests. Your DUI lawyer will need to know what kind of field sobriety testing was used to discover your intoxication level. This informative guide will help you understand those field sobriety tests and answer some concerns you might have regarding them.

Which Kind of Field Sobriety Test Have You Been Given?

After you have been stopped by the law enforcement officer with the suspicion of driving impaired, you may be compelled to carry out a FST, or field sobriety test, right on the side of the street. These kinds of tests have been decided by the state of California to judge your impairment level quickly in order that peace officers can determine if you should be arrested or not. These tests are viewed as fairly accurate for predicting if a person is capable of safely operating a motorized vehicle without being a danger to themselves or others.

Some Typical Field Sobriety Tests

If you have been stopped for the reason that a police officer believes that you are impaired, there are a variety of FSTs that he has at his disposal to ascertain your sobriety. You will find three particular tests that the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration) recommends to ascertain the impairment level of a driver. These tests consist of the walk-and-turn test and the one-leg-stand test, as well as the horizontal-gaze test. The officers are taught to administer these FSTs and determine physical responses to drivers. Nonetheless, no test is infallible, and no officer is above making a mistake when administering these tests or interpreting the results of those tests. There are lots of factors which could cause erroneous interpretation of a person's reactions to these tests. The officers are taught to try to find insufficient focus in the eyes, poor coordination, inability to follow directions, and insufficient balance, among other things, and those symptoms can often be caused by additional factors. This may also be true when there are other signs of intoxication which are looked for while in the administration of field sobriety testing, like dilated pupils.

So, although the FST can be an accurate indicator of a person's impairment, the tests are not always reliable. The accused individual could have a medical impairment, or perhaps they lack coordination for another reason. The outside lighting might be poor, for example, or the officer might not have been trained properly to execute the exam. Sometimes the officer does not explain the exam effectively to the DUI suspect, who then cannot pass the test as he doesn't know what he's being requested to do.

Questionable FSTs and DUI Charges

Due to the inconsistent manner in which FSTs are administered and the questionable results that they produce, contacting a DUI lawyer as soon as possible after a DUI charge is very important. Speak to your DUI lawyer as soon as possible following a DUI arrest to formulate a defense for your particular case.


------

If you or someone you know has been charged with a DUI and now you are trying to find a trustworthy Sacramento DUI attorney, then check out the Law Offices of Brianne Doyle or call her at 916-806-6400. She's a dependable Sacramento criminal defense attorney and can assist you in getting through this arrest.