What is the One Leg Stand Test?
If you have been arrested for a DWI or DUI in Fort Worth, Arlington, Keller or in the surrounding cities of Tarrant County, you were likely asked to take the One Leg Stand Test. Like the Walk and Turn test, the One Leg Stand Test is a test that was designed for the purpose of determining how well a person can use their mind and their body at the same time (known as a psychophysical test). Police officers refer to the One Leg Stand test as a “divided attention test” because the One Leg Stand test requires a person to listen to instructions, process the requests being given to him by the police officers, while also physically executing the commands through walking.
During the One Leg Stand Test, the police officer will ask you to put your arms down by your side and stand on one leg. You will then be asked to hold your other leg approximately 6 inches above the ground and stare down at your extended foot and begin to count aloud from 1 to 30 (by 1001, 1002, 1003, until the officer tells you to stop). Generally, the police officer will time you for 30 seconds and will be looking at his pre-printed DWI form and looking to see if you scored any of the 4 possible “clues” listed on his scoring sheet:
- Swaying while you were balancing yourself
- Using your arms to balance yourself
- Hopping around while balancing yourself
- Putting your foot down at any time during the test
According to NHTSA, if you scored at least 2 or more clues, there is a 68% chance that your blood alcohol content (BAC) was .10 or higher at the time of the test. Unfortunately, the police officer will not explain to you what he is looking for while he scores your test or that he will be marking you off if you sway or put your foot down after counting 29 out of the 30 seconds.
Call The Hampton Law Firm now to schedule a free consultation and determine if your field sobriety tests were administered according to the NHTSA guidelines.
