Reader’s Question:

When my sister was arrested for DUI in Evansville, Indiana, she said that she took some of the field sobriety tests. I heard that some of these tests are divided attention tests, what does this mean?

Ramsey

Evansville, IN

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has developed standardized field sobriety tests that are designed to detect an impaired driver. On your sister’s DUI arrest in Evansville, Indiana, the field sobriety tests (FST’s) that she took which are considered as divided attention tests are the walk-and-turn test and the one-leg stand. These tests are said to be effective and proven accurate in DUI detection. Divided attention tests would require a person to concentrate on two things at once and an example of divided attention task is driving.

A driver should simultaneously control steering, acceleration and braking, and react appropriately to changing conditions in order to operate a vehicle safely. FST’s that simulate the divided attention characteristics of driving are being used by law enforcement agencies in the country. The best tests use the same physical and mental capabilities that an individual needs to drive safely: short-term memory, information processing, balance, judgment and decision making, coordination of the limbs, sure reactions, steadiness, small muscle control and clear vision.

Tags: DUI, DUI lawyer, field sobriety tests