Field Sobriety Tests in Montgomery County, TX

What You Should Do After Failing a Field Sobriety Test

Field sobriety tests are an integral part of a DWI arrest. In fact, a driver's performance on these tests is usually the determination the police officer will use in deciding whether to make an arrest and then conduct a breath or blood test. Montgomery County DWI Attorney Doug Atkinson is familiar with handling cases involving failed or refused field sobriety tests.

By using his knowledge and experience regarding appropriate and effective DWI defenses, Mr. Atkinson can develop a plan of representation that has the best opportunity of meeting with success. Since 1998, Doug Atkinson has been helping drivers just like you who have been arrested for driving while intoxicated in and around Montgomery County, Texas.

Are Field Sobriety Tests Always Accurate?

Any field sobriety test has the potential of being administered incorrectly or of being failed falsely because of a driver's physical condition. The tests we will focus on are the standardized field sobriety tests, which consist of the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk and Turn and One Leg Stand. Although deemed more accurate than other tests, these standardized field sobriety tests are not nearly 100% accurate in determining intoxication.

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus

The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, or HGN, is conducted by having the driver follow an object or light with his/her eyes. The officer is looking for an involuntary jerking of the eye, from side to side, which is supposed to indicate intoxication. Montgomery County DWI defense lawyer Doug Atkinson can employ a number of defense strategies in regard to a Nystagmus test. For example, the test must be performed accurately, with the object a certain distance from the subject's eyes and moving at a certain speed. Inaccuracy in this regard may lead to a false positive.