If you have been pulled over on suspicion of DUI in Roswell, an officer may conduct field sobriety tests to ascertain your level of intoxication and arrest you for DUI. These results can be affected by various factors; if aware of them you can challenge the test results in court.
Physical conditions have an immense influence on one’s ability to complete field sobriety tests successfully. Prescription medications, for instance, may cause side effects such as muscle tension and shakiness that makes administering tests challenging for officers. It is therefore advisable that any prescriptions you are taking be disclosed prior to giving a field sobriety test so they understand its possible impact on your ability to pass it successfully.
People with injuries or medical conditions that make balancing difficult may also have difficulty performing the tests, so be sure to inform the officer if you experience difficulty when trying one or more tests. Failure is likely if there is an injury or health condition present which requires extra coordination – so make sure they note it in their report!
Officers frequently employ horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN), walk and turn, and one-leg stand tests as standard measures of impairment in those with blood alcohol concentrations of 0.08% or more. HGN involves involuntary jerking of eyes that everyone experiences when rotating their heads at high peripheral angles – though its effects become even more exaggerated when someone is drunk or otherwise impaired. Furthermore, walk and turn tests assess ability to follow instructions, use arms properly for balance purposes, count correctly, etc.
Cognitive or mental factors also can play a part in one’s performance on these tests, for instance anxiety and fatigue can cause uncontrolled movements that the officer sees as indicative of intoxication. Fatigue is especially prevalent during long drives; muscle tension may interfere with walking straight and keeping balance, leading to difficulties walking straight or maintaining equilibrium; similarly being tired could cause you to move your arms too quickly during testing, leading to potential failure of that test.
Failing field sobriety tests typically leads to arrest for DUI. Being found guilty can have severe repercussions, including jail time, fines, programs and the potential loss of license – not to mention possible employment implications. You must seek out a Roswell DUI Attorney or Roswell DUI Lawyer If you’ve been charged with DUI in Roswell or elsewhere in Georgia, contact James Yeargan at his office immediately – our skilled DUI lawyer in Roswell is dedicated to challenging field sobriety test results for positive outcomes, offering free initial consultations and being available around-the-clock should any questions arise or help avoid conviction and its penalties altogether.
