Field Sobriety Tests

DWI Lawyer for St. Louis

For those who are suspected of drinking and driving, the field sobriety tests may be used by an officer to help them come to a conclusion or to gather evidence so a charge will stand up in court. The Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) was developed by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) after undergoing extensive research. In spite of the great efforts to develop a system, the tests are still not 100 percent correct and innocent individuals can be found guilty when an error occurs in testing.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created the field sobriety tests to assist law enforcement to detect persons who are intoxicated. Unfortunately, they can be seriously flawed. The types of standard tests are the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), the Walk and Turn (WAT) and the One-Leg Stand (OLS). In our state you do not have to take these tests and your refusal to do so cannot be used against you in a court of law. It is vital, therefore, that you retain an experienced St. Louis criminal defense attorney from the firm to see that your rights are protected.

Flaws in Field Sobriety Tests

In many cases, the standard field sobriety tests can be hard to pass if you are intoxicated or not. Physical conditions, the use of medications and other circumstances can make it appear that a person is drunk when they are not. For some individuals, performing multiple tasks at one time can be difficult without drugs or alcohol in their systems.

Frequently, these tests are administered incorrectly leaving innocent people with criminal charges. Under the best of conditions they are only based on a police officer's subjective opinion of what they saw. If it can be shown that there were errors in how the tests were given or interpreted, it can create doubt as to the legitimacy of your arrest in the first place. There is no scientific proof that these tests are 100% accurate. Being arrested based on faulty information is inherently unjust and you need someone who has the ability and experience to bring this to light. Field sobriety tests can be faulty. Quickly contact a St. Louis lawyer if these tests lead to your arrest for a DWI.