Standardized Field Sobriety Tests

When the police suspect a person of driving under the influence in Meriden, they may pull them over. If additional signs indicate that the person is driving under the influence, such as slurred speech, the smell of alcohol, or an admittance of drinking before driving, the police may ask the driver to perform standardized field sobriety tests. This is a group of three tests that are “scientifically proven” to determine if a person is impaired by alcohol or not. However, the science behind these tests is rather flimsy, and the truth is that these tests are designed to make the test taker fail. You can learn more about the standardized field sobriety tests on this page.

The Three Tests

There are three standardized field sobriety tests that can be performed on the road if a police officer thinks that a driver was operating their vehicle while under the influence. These tests are the walk-and-turn test, the one-leg stand test, and the horizontal gaze nystagmus test.

The walk-and-turn test is a test that requires a person to perform a series of heel-to-toe steps in a straight line. Failure to maintain a straight line is an indication, according to the test, of impairment.

The one-leg stand test is a test in which the subject is asked to balance on one leg and count out loud. Swaying, an inability to count properly, or falling over are indications, again, according to the test, of impairment.

Finally, there is the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. This test asks a subject to follow an object, oftentimes a pen, with their eye without moving their head. Supposedly, if a person is under the influence of alcohol, their eye will involuntarily jerk when trying to perform this test.

Issues With the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests

While police officers and prosecutors will have a jury believe that failing these tests means that a person is impaired, there are so many other factors that can go into failure of the standardized field sobriety tests. Factors such as weather issues, health issues, feeling nervous, etc. could impact a person’s score. Scoring is also designed to make it extremely difficult to pass these tests, even if if a person is sober. What’s more, the police officer may explain or administer these tests improperly. These are very common issues which could mean that a person fails these tests, even if they have done nothing wrong.

Because there are so many issues with the standardized field sobriety tests, you should consider not performing them if you are asked to by the police. There is no penalty for refusing to take these tests, and since it is so difficult to pass them, it may be in your best interest to refuse to take them. If you are unsure of what to do, consider contacting a Meriden DUI defense lawyer and discussing the issue with them.

If you did take these tests and failed, a lawyer could poke holes in the administration of these tests and potentially have them thrown out of court or raise questions about the accuracy of your tests for a jury. If you need the help of a lawyer at this time, contact our office. We can help!