Los Angeles DUI Defense Lawyers

Field Sobriety Tests in Los Angeles County, California

A police officer makes a subjective evaluation of a driver’s intoxication level based off field sobriety tests. A driver’s performance on these tests may provide an officer with the probable cause he or she needs to make an arrest for DUI (driving under the influence) and then perform a breathalyzer test or blood test to determine the driver’s blood alcohol concentration.

A Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer at Gold & Witham is experienced in representing clients who have been arrested for driving under the influence – whether or not they have submitted to field sobriety testing. The key word in the above paragraph is “subjective”. An officer makes a subjective evaluation of whether a driver is driving under the influence of alcohol based upon his or her performance on a field sobriety test. These tests are not foolproof and can indicate “intoxication” in a driver who is entirely sober, who is simply tired, or whose abilities are at a normal level. At Gold & Witham, our Los Angeles DUI attorneys and lawyers understand how to attack the validity of these tests through the DUI court process – helping drivers avoid a conviction and DUI penalties as a result.

Gold & Witham is a Los Angeles law firm limited exclusively to DUI defense. While we recommend that drivers do NOT submit to field sobriety testing when asked by a police officer, our Los Angeles drunk driving defense attorneys understand how to defend cases even when a driver has failed field sobriety tests. Contact an attorney at our firm to see how we can use our experience and aggressive defense techniques to provide you with exceptional results for your Los Angeles DUI case.

Los Angeles Field Sobriety Test Defense Lawyers: Gold & Witham

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted an evaluation of field sobriety tests to determine their accuracy in practice. Three tests emerged as Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, and are as follows:

Walk and Turn: Walk heel to toe in a straight line, 9 steps in each direction. The officer is looking for any balance issues as well as the driver’s ability to follow instructions.
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus: Follow an object or light with the eyes. The officer is looking for a side to side shaking movement in the eyes, which is said to indicate intoxication.
One Leg Stand: Stand on one leg for 30 seconds. The officer is looking for balance issues and the driver’s ability to follow instructions.

While labeled “standardized”, these field sobriety tests are far from accurate. According to the NHTSA’s tests, the One Leg Stand is 65% accurate, the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus is 77% accurate and the Walk and Turn may be 68% accurate - but this is when these tests are performed entirely properly, in optimal circumstances (on a flat, even surface, when the driver is wearing flat shoes and the weather and lighting conditions are good).

Contact a Los Angeles DUI attorney at Gold & Witham regarding your field sobriety test results and your driving under the influence charges.