Like most people in Kentucky, you may be aware that during an investigation in which a law enforcement officer suspects you might be driving while intoxicated, you might be asked to perform certain tasks or tests. These are often referred to as field sobriety tests due to their performance in the field where you were originally stopped. Understanding the purpose of these tests how accurate they may or may not be is important for anyone who has been charged with a driving under the influence offense.
First, FieldSobrietyTests.org explains that these roadside tests are not at all meant to conclusively prove that a driver is actually drunk. In fact, these tests are not even able to make such a determination. Instead they are meant to provide evidence to suggest that a drive might be drunk. Armed with this information, a police officer may legally place the driver under arrest.
Of the three tests used in a drunk driving investigation, not even one is fully accurate. The test that measures an eye movement is the most accurate but still has only a 77 percent accuracy rate. The walking test is said to be 68 percent accurate while the test requiring a person to balance on one leg has an accuracy rate of only 65 percent.
If you would like to learn more about the potential accuracy problems associated with tests used in a drunk driving investigation, please feel free to visit the field sobriety test page of our Kentucky criminal and drunk driving defense website.