Reader’s Question:

I heard so many negative things about field sobriety tests here in Palm Beach, Florida like they don’t really determine whether a driver is drunk or not. So other than being drunk, what factors could affect a person’s failure in doing these kinds of tests?

Ada

Palm Beach, FL

Well you could believe what you heard about field sobriety tests (FST’s) in Palm Beach, Florida because if a driver failed these tests, it is really not an indication that he/she was driving under the influence. There are several factors that could influence the results of the FST’s that have nothing to do with being drunk. Some of the things that could impact how a driver does on FST’s include the volume of traffic passing by (which would likely slow down to stare at you), how even the pavement is, whether it is gravel or concrete, the amount of lighting available and the weather.

In addition to that, the driver’s physical condition could affect the results of the FST’s. If he/she is elderly, overweight or has physical impairments of his/her limbs, back, or eyes, it could often result in failure on the FST’s. Take note that even the type of shoes that the driver is wearing could affect the test. To top it all, the driver is probably very nervous, humiliated, angry and tired. But the most important thing to keep in mind, no matter what kind of FST’s you take and no matter how you think you did, an experienced DUI defense lawyer would know how to ensure that you are not convicted simply because of the police officer’s personal opinion.

Tags: DUI, DUI advice, DUI lawyer