Georgia drivers like you know a DUI conviction can result in hefty penalties. You face time in jail and large fines. Thus, it is important to understand how officers judge DUI offenses.
One of the first types of testing you may come across are field sobriety tests. Due to how common they are, it is important to understand how they work and what purpose they serve.
Standardized versus non-standardized tests
FieldSobrietyTest.org notes there are tests beyond standardized field sobriety tests. There are also non-standardized field sobriety tests, and there are many more of these. Why do you hear less about them? In essence, standardized field sobriety tests have a rubric to measure all results. An officer’s bias may still play a part, but it is much smaller than it is with non-standardized tests. These lack rubrics and thus judgment is entirely up to the officer.
The bias behind test results
Due to this inherent bias, the results of non-standardized tests do not hold as much power in court. Officers know this and are less likely to use these tests because of it. But field sobriety tests are often used as a first line of testing, anyway. In other words, it will likely not be the last test they ask you to take. If you fail a field sobriety test, they may follow it up with a breath or blood test.
It is important to understand that field sobriety test results are not considered conclusive evidence. These results are not even very strong pieces of evidence. Thus, be cautious when facing DUI charges that involve field sobriety test results. But do not be overly anxious.