Talk With an Attorney About Your Field Sobriety Tests
If you have been stopped and the officer suspected that you were drinking and driving, there is a good chance that you were administered a field sobriety test. These tests often play an important role in your arrest for drunk driving and it is a good idea to discuss them with an attorney. Contact me — Michael F. Dunn, Attorney at Law — by calling my Glenside, Pennsylvania, law office at 215-392-4361.
Types of Field Sobriety Tests
There are several field sobriety testes that law enforcement officers commonly administer to people they believe have been drinking and driving:
- The PBT or portable breath test: Officers ask you to breathe into a tester in order to gauge an initial alcohol content.
- The one leg stand test: Officers ask you to stand on one leg with the other foot six inches off the ground, counting to 30 with your hands by your side.
- The nine step walk and turn: Officers ask you to walk heel-to-toe nine steps forward and then nine steps back along a straight line.
- Horizontal gaze nystagmus: This test tracks the movement of your pupils as you look back and forth. Although the test is often administered by law enforcement officers, evidence produced is not allowed to be introduced at trial.
- Touching the tip of your nose: The finger to nose test is commonly used by police officers.
Each of these field sobriety tests may not be effective in detecting drunk driving for several reasons. As an experienced attorney, I have attended seminars on drunk driving law. I know that the tests are highly subjective and not highly accurate.
In Pennsylvania, you can pass all the field sobriety tests but, if you are over the legal limit, the law may still consider you guilty of drunk driving. That is why it is critical that you work with an attorney who knows all aspects of your case and the law — someone who can consider each element to help you achieve the best possible results.
Contact a Lawyer
If you have been accused of a crime, taking fast action is the best way to protect your rights and your freedom. Contact me — Michael F. Dunn — by calling 215-392-4361 or by completing my online contact form. Initial consultations are free and confidential.
To learn more about the law on drunk driving, please visit my Drunk Driving/DUI Practice Center.
