Louisiana residents who find themselves pulled over by police often want to comply to have an easy time. However, if the officer thinks a person is driving drunk, they can ask them to take field sobriety tests. Sometimes, the results are skewed, and in that situation, you can challenge them.
Your medical condition was overlooked
Some field sobriety tests are difficult or even impossible for some people to pass. If you have a certain medical or mental health condition, you can fail tests like the one-leg stand or the walk-and-turn. These field sobriety tests require good balance and coordination, but conditions like vertigo, inner ear infection, brain injury and other neurological disorders and other conditions that cause involuntary bodily motions can lead to failing them. Neurological conditions can also cause you to fail the horizontal gaze nystagmus test.
The test had flaws
Field sobriety tests are not perfect, and neither are police officers as they are only human. This can lead to flaws while the officer is explaining the test and when you take them. If you don’t understand every detail of what’s expected of you with any or all of the tests, you might have problems performing them. As a result, the police officer can decide that you are guilty of drunk driving and arrest you. You can challenge the results of the tests by pointing out that they were administered with mistakes.
You were extremely stressed
You can also fail a field sobriety test because you were stressed or experiencing anxiety while taking them. This is only natural because being stopped by police is a scary experience; being suspected of drunk driving is even worse. You can challenge the results based on your stress and anxiety.
Field sobriety tests alone cannot prove guilt of drunk driving. If you are sober, you can challenge your results.
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