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Seattle DUI lawyer

Now providing DUI attorney representation in Kirkland, Bellevue, Renton and Tacoma in addition to Seattle.

King County DUI Lawyer Field Sobriety Tests

Field Sobriety Tests are always optional. Unfortunately, many people think these tests are required and take them under a misguided notion that doing so may help prove their innocence. These tests are designed for failure and taking them only provides the arresting officer with more ammunition to use against you in court. To make matters worse, you may be seen taking the tests by your Olympia choir leader or your Tacoma office manager, making for a potentially awkward social situation. Despite this knowledge, many Washington State Troopers will threaten that if you decline to take the tests, you will be arrested. Do not be mislead. By the time you are asked to take a Field Sobriety Test, or FST, you are probably already going to be arrested.

Our Seattle DUI Attorney Understands the Tests' Weaknesses

There are good reasons that Field Sobriety Tests are not accepted as undisputable evidence of your guilt -the main reason being the inaccuracy of the tests. Years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration developed a wide range of tests for drunk drivers. When the tests were evaluated for accuracy, only three tests were found to be accurate over 50% of the time, the One Legged Stand Test, the Walk and Turn Test and the HGN Test. These tests consist of what is now called the “Standardized Field Sobriety Test.” When these three tests are taken together, they are accurate a little over 90% of the time –when under ideal conditions. Once you are out of the laboratory, things like wind, rain, broken pavement, hills, traffic and more can dramatically reduce the test’s accuracy. Additionally, illness, exhaustion, medication, even poor footwear can make a sober person fail the tests miserably. If the officer performed any tests that are not accepted as part of the Standardized Field Sobriety Test, this testimony will not be admissible in the courtroom, as these tests are too inaccurate to qualify as evidence.

Any drunk driving defense attorney in King County should be knowledgeable about the fallacies of the Field Sobriety Tests. Even if you did take, and fail, these sobriety tests, your King County DUI field sobriety defense attorney might be able to discredit the officer’s testimony regarding your results. If you failed your Field Sobriety Tests, do not fret, a skilled Seattle DUI lawyer from can help discredit evidence like this from being used against you. Contact our offices today to schedule a free initial consultation with a top DUI defense attorney in Seattle, WA.


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