When you are pulled over because the police officer thinks that you might be driving drunk, you might be told that you need to take a field sobriety test. These tests are important because they provide an insight into your impairment level, but you should know that they aren’t always correct.
Many places use the standardized field sobriety test, but there are some tests that don’t include only the three components of the standardized test. Any tests other than the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, the one leg stand and the walk and turn aren’t standardized.
Police officers who are conducting a standardized battery of tests are specially trained to do this. There is a good chance that these three tests will provide accurate results; however, the tests are very subjective. Sometimes, there are factors that can make the results inaccurate. A person who has a brain injury or a spinal cord injury might not be able to complete these tests. In some cases, people who have an eye condition or brain injury might not be able to do the horizontal gaze nystagmus test.
There are many different things that the officers are looking for when they are doing these tests. If you are asked to do one, make sure you understand the instructions before the test. You don’t want a simple misunderstanding to impact the test results.
If you are facing a drunk driving charge that includes a field sobriety test, you might need to consider this factor when you are evaluating the options for your defense. It is important that you look into everything possible so you can build your defense step by step.
Source: FindLaw, “Field Sobriety Tests,” accessed Feb. 01, 2018