Field Sobriety Tests And Your Rights

On behalf of Peterson, Berk & Cross, S.C.

If you are like a lot of people in Wisconsin, you might feel quite afraid about your future after being arrested for and charged with a drunk driving offense. The penalties for these types of charges can be severe and have a long-term impact on your life. However, it is important for you to know that you have the right to defend yourself and one fact to know is that the tests used during your arrest process are not always accurate.

As explained by FieldSobrietyTests.org, there are a wide range of things that could result in you being unable to pass one or more of the field tests you were asked to participate in. A lot of the factors are likely to be out of your control. For example, if you have anxiety or some other mental health condition, you may not be able to properly balance yourself on one leg or walk perfectly along an imaginary line.

Your physical health may also prevent your ability to pass these tests. People with knee, back, hip or feet problems can often not complete these tests as they are administered. The accuracy rates of the walking test and the one-leg standing test are 68% and 65%, respectively.

If you would like to learn more about the factors that may make your field sobriety test results inaccurate and how you can defend yourself against a driving under the influence charge, please feel free to visit the drunk driving defendant’s rights page of our Wisconsin criminal defense website.