Field Sobriety Tests in Cobb Co. and Marietta

Cobb County officers stop drivers in and around the Marietta area all the time for a range of traffic offenses.  In many of these stops, the officer then comes to the belief based on the drivers appearance or things that the driver says, that the driver is DUI.  In Cobb County, the officers like to use preliminary breath tests and field sobriety tests to determine if an arrest for drunk driving should be made.

There are only 3 validated field sobriety tests that have shown to be correlated with DUI.  Those three tests are the horizontal gaze nystagmus, the one leg stand, and the walk and turn test.

The horizontal gaze nystagmus test is a test of the involuntary jerking of the eye.  There are actually 3 different horizontal gaze nystagmus sub-tests that the officer is instructed to administer.  The one leg stand test is just that - it requires the driver to stand on one foot for 30 seconds.  The walk and turn instructs the driver to walk a straight line for nine steps, turnaround, and then walk nine steps back..

Each of these tests require the officer to properly instruct the driver.  Often, the officer does not.  Also, these tests are inherently subjective as the officer is the one who determines whether the driver exhibits a "clue" indicating DUI or not.  

Cobb County DUI lawyer Richard Lawson has been training in the proper adminstration of field sobriety tests.  If you find yourself facing a Marietta or Cobb COunty DUI charge, call Mr. Lawson for a free consultation of your case.