Are Field Sobriety Tests Really Designed to Exonerate Drivers?

Any law enforcement officer or politician will tell you that field sobriety tests give drivers an opportunity to show that they are not impaired due to the consumption of alcohol.  Many people view field sobriety testing as a means for drivers to prove their innocence if they have been accused of drunk driving.  However, field sobriety testing is really used as a means of gathering evidence on the part of law enforcement officers.  Think about what happens at a DUI traffic stop – if a law enforcement officer believes you are impaired, he has already made up his mind about your innocence and will use field sobriety testing to try to gather evidence to support their assessment of your condition.  If a law enforcement officer asks you to submit to sobriety testing, he or she is going to see what is suspected.  If you stumble or trip, the officer is going to use it as evidence to back up the fact that he thinks you’re guilty of driving under the influence.  Another point to consider is that even people who have not been drinking may not do well on sobriety tests.  They often take place in the dark on roadways that may not be even or cared for well.  This combined with the fact that the headlights of cars driving by can cause people to stumble, means that not everyone can do well on sobriety tests even if they are not impaired.  It doesn’t seem fair that these tests can be used against drivers accused of driving under the influence, but that’s the way it works in the “land of the free.”  If you are arrested for driving under the influence, contact a Los Angeles DUI attorney as soon as possible so you have the best possible chance of having a positive outcome for your case.