Why Field Sobriety Tests Aren't Always Accurate
Posted on Nov 25, 2010 9:10am PST
When you under suspicion for driving while intoxicated and you are asked to perform a field sobriety test, you may not know that there are certain factors that can drastically reduce their accuracy.
For example, with the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, there are many reasons that your eye may jerk, such as if you are fatigued, if you have a tumor or if you have had a stroke.
If you are asked to "walk and turn," you should be aware that the test is much more inaccurate if you are ill, if you are elderly, if you have a disability, if you are more than 50 pounds overweight, and for other reasons. The "one leg stand" is less accurate for the same reasons.
Overall, it is good to remember that there may be other plausible reasons why you failed the field sobriety test or why the officer thought you appeared intoxicated.
Contact San Antonio Criminal Defense Attorney Tylden Shaeffer to fight the charges you are facing.