Santa Barbara DUI Attorney Explains Your Rights for a Field Sobriety Test
Preparation course from a Santa Barbara dui attorney
Getting caught driving drunk is never a good experience. Fortunately, knowing what to expect can help you to assure that you were apprehended and charged correctly and that the officer did not do anything that was out of line compared to what is typically required to prove intoxication at the time of the traffic stop. Your Santa Barbara DUI attorney will want you to understand the basics of the field sobriety test and other events that will occur when you are stopped for a suspected DUI.
A Santa Barbara dui attorney will help you to understand the moving parts.
In Santa Barbara, California, the laid-back lifestyle stops at the law, which is taken very seriously. If you are tested for a DUI, you will have to perform any or all of the following tests to prove your sobriety (or intoxication level):
- Eye test: You will be asked to track a finger or pencil with your eyes, without moving your head. The officer will look at your ability to follow the object, whether your eyes waver at certain points, and determine if you have extreme reflexes, which is often a sign of impairment.
- Balance: Standing on one foot with your hands at your side, you will have to keep your other foot 30 inches off the ground and count by thousands to see how long you can stay that way. Typically, most intoxicated persons last less than 10 seconds. The shorter the time, the more intoxicated a person usually is. A Santa Barbara dui attorney would tell you this test is one of the most important ones.
- Walking the line: This tests your motor skills and processing, because you have to follow two sets of instructions at once. You must walk up and down a line for 10 steps, counting and taking heel to toe steps.
- Finger counting: A test to determine your cognitive coordination, where you will count 1,2,3,4/4,3,2,1 touching each finger to your thumb.
- Clapping: A test that again checks coordination, where you must clap one palm with the back of your other hand while counting.
In addition to these tests, you may be asked to submit to a chemical breathalyzer test in the field. This is a portable test and, as any Santa Barbara DUI attorney will say, you do have the right to refuse it if you choose. You shouldn’t refuse any test that you are asked to perform if you want to relieve yourself of guilt, though.
With the right Santa Barbara DUI attorney, your chances of winning your case are much higher.
About the Author: Kenneth M. Hallum, Santa Barbara dui attorney, can give you more information about penalties for a DUI if you found this article helpful.
Great share! The Law in Santa Barbara really is strict especially for such cases. Refusing to do the tests will just make you seem guilty if you really are drunk. If you are not intoxicated and you refuse, it’s alright because you are not guilty anyway.
Thank you for these very helpful tips. It might make you win the case but what is more important is to not drink and drive at all. Driving under the influence is very dangerous.
These are really great points to remember when you are stopped for alleged DUI. But in my opinion, you shouldn’t press your luck and never drive if you consumed alcohol before you get behind a wheel. Thanks!
Amazing tips! It really does make sense to consult a DUI attorney to understand the basics of the field sobriety test.
As always, the article is a source of invaluable practical information about being tested for DUI. Keep it up, Ken!
You have provided some good points that drivers should remember in preparation for the Field Sobriety Test. Drivers in Santa Barbara should read this post.
Great insights. As they say, it’s all in the details. Knowledge of even the basic about a DUI arrest and the fields f sobriety tests you have to undergo can really help you. Keep in mind that refusing any test will only get you into deeper trouble. Any qualified Santa Barbara DUI Attorney will tell you that.
~Elvie