Georgia residents who are pulled over and then suspected of driving while under the influence may be subjected to a field sobriety test. It is important to understand what these tests are, and how they can be used in court.
There are two types of field sobriety tests. Non-standardized field sobriety tests aren’t often used due to the fact that lacking a uniform standard makes it harder to use as evidence in court. There are only three types of standardized field sobriety tests, and these are the ones you are most likely to run into. This includes the walk-and-turn, the one-leg stand and the horizontal gaze nystagmus. These tests are designed to check things like your balance, dexterity, ability to follow instructions, and other physical signs such as any shakiness in your eye movement that might indicate inebriation.
Field sobriety tests can be used in court as evidence, as well. However, it should be noted that it is often used as supporting evidence rather than something that is meant to stand on its own. This is because even with standardized field sobriety tests, there are plenty of reasons that a person could fail that aren’t related to alcohol at all. For example, medical conditions could keep a person from being able to balance properly and that might cause them to fail the one-leg stand despite being sober.
Despite this, field sobriety test results should still be taken seriously. If you are interested in looking at more information on DUI related crimes and charges, consider visiting our web page, which we have linked here.