Reader’s Question:
Field sobriety tests on DUI suspects are so popular that they sometimes show it on TV as bloopers. But seriously, why are these tests called divided attention tests and is there an incidence here in Antioch, California that a person who was really drunk has passed more than one of the field sobriety tests?
Cain
Antioch, CA
Field sobriety tests (FST’s) are categorized as standardized and non-standardized. Standardized FST’s are those commonly used by police officers in a DUI investigation and are approved by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. As we may all understand, standardized FST’s are psychophysical tests that require assessment of a DUI suspect’s appearance and condition, ability to follow instructions, as well as balance and coordination. These tests are often called Divided Attention Tests because they require the DUI suspect to concentrate on more than one thing at a time. He/she would have a divided attention between mental and physical tasks.
There may be an incidence already in Antioch, California that a person who was really drunk has passed more than one of the standardized FST’s but according to studies, a person who is under the influence of alcohol may perform one of the standardized FST’s but rarely more than one. If a person is under the influence of alcohol, he/she is likely to make certain predictable mistakes while attempting to do the FST’s.
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