Savannah DUI Lawyer

Field Sobriety Tests in Georgia

When a Georgia police officer suspects that a driver may be operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or some controlled substance, he or she may elect to subject the driver to a series of field sobriety tests before any additional testing is proposed. These tests evaluate the driver's motor skills, speech patterns, and other cognitive and physical reactions while they are engaging in certain activities.

There is a governing body that is known as The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, and they are charged with the responsibility of researching and evaluating field sobriety testing techniques to ensure accuracy and uniformity. They have identified three specific field sobriety tests that are considered to the "standard" tests that are applied by law enforcement agencies in Georgia and around the country.

One-Leg Stand Field Sobriety Test

This test measures balance, speech, cognitive reasoning, and the ability to follow directions and multi-task. It requires the suspect to stand on one leg with the other leg about six inches to a foot off the ground. With hands at sides the driver must then count to thirty. The officer will evaluate the driver's ability to balance without wavering or hopping, the consistency of the stance overall, and the cogency and speech quality of the counting.

Walk and Turn Field Sobriety Test

As with all of these tests, the name is self explanatory. This Georgia field sobriety test requires the driver to place one foot in front of the other with heel touching toe and walk nine steps in this manner, along a straight line, pivot, and the return to the starting point while counting the steps aloud. Once again the officer will take note of the driver's balance, overall body language, and speech specifics.

HGN Field Sobriety Field Test

The third NHTSA standard Georgia DUI field sobriety test is called the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. This involves the officer asking the driver to look at a fixed point like a pen that is held within his or her sight lines. As the officer moves the pen, the driver must follow its path with his or her eyes without moving the head. The officer will look for nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes, which is indicated as a symptom of intoxication. However, intoxication is by no means the only cause of nystagmus, and police officers are just that, not eye doctors, so their interpretation of a HGN field sobriety test maybe brought into question by a savvy Georgia DUI lawyer.

 

If you are suspected of or charged with a drunken driving offense, then contact a seasoned Savannah GA DUI lawyer immediately.