Among the many things that drivers in Tennessee should know about is the process involved in a drunk driving arrest. One part of this process is the administration of field sobriety test. If you are ever stopped and asked to take these tests, you should know that there are a total of three of them.
FieldSobrietyTests.org explains that together these tests are used by police to find probable cause to place you under arrest for drunk driving. One of the tests, the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, looks for specific eye movements that are said to indicate potential impairment. This test is said to have an accuracy rate of roughly 77 percent and this is the most accurate of the three tests.
The other two tests are designed to evaluate your coordination as well as your ability to take direction and execute multiple actions at one time. In the one-legged stand test you must balance perfectly on one leg with no help from your arms and maintain a fixed gaze on your lifted foot. The walk-and-turn test requires you to step in heel-to-toe fashion and count out loud and, once again, not move your arms away from your body. Medical conditions or physical challenges let alone nerves and the fear you might feel at this point may all hinder your ability to successfully pass these tests.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give Tennessee residents an overview of what field sobriety tests are and how accurate they may or may not be.
