Florida DUI Field Sobriety Exercises

Taking the Field Sobriety Exercises in Florida

Regardless if you’ve had a drink or not, once you get behind the wheel of your car, you open yourself up to the potential of being investigated by the police for DUI. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that you know your rights and prepare yourself for a possible DUI investigation. During a DUI investigation, the police will almost certainly ask you to perform a series of field sobriety exercises. At Fischer Redavid PLLC, we’ve had several clients ask us if they should or should not have agreed to a field sobriety exercise. The answer we give is always a resounding yes. Agreeing to perform these exercises will almost always look better than a refusal, especially if your case goes all the way to jury trial. Our Hollywood DUI attorney knows what to highlight and downplay in regards to the process and results of the investigation. When you take part in these tests, you may also be able to refuse a breathalyzer or other chemical testing, which is an evidence that may be harder to contest.

In case you have been arrested despite your cooperation in performing the field sobriety exercises, what you can do is contact our firm as soon as possible. We have helped countless clients with cases similar to yours and have a winning streak since 2015. You can trust that we are ready to vigorously defend you no matter what.

To secure the services of our firm, contact (954) 860-8434 for a free consultation!

Different Florida DUI Field Sobriety Exercises

There are five different types of field sobriety exercises that the arresting officer may ask you to perform. These exercises were created and standardized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association to determine if your faculties are impaired.

The five DUI field sobriety exercises in Florida include:

• Walk and Turn- This test requires you to place one foot in front of the other, touching heel to toe while treading an imaginary straight line. The police officer will expect you maintain this position and maintain balance while giving additional instructions.
• Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN)- During an HGN test, the police will ask you to follow an object with your eyes while they look for tell-tale signs of nystagmus or jerking eye movement.
• One-Leg Stand- You will be asked to stand on one leg while raising the other leg in the air at least six inches off the ground. Similar to the Walk and Turn, the police officer may give additional instructions such as flexing your foot or counting out loud.
• Rhomberg Balance- This test involves standing with your feet together, tilting your head back with eyes closed and waiting for 30 seconds on your own measurement to bring your head back, open your eyes, and say stop.
• Finger-to-Nose- During this test, you will be asked to close your eyes with your arms open sideward and follow verbal orders of “left” or “right” in touching the tip of your nose before bringing your hands back to your side.

In performing these exercises, the key is to obey the directions right down to a tee. Listen carefully to the instruction and begin only when prompted. Any mistake, even if you think that it’s just a minor one, will be a count against you and can lead to your arrest.

Using Your Field Sobriety Exercises as Defense

Our Hollywood DUI lawyer can utilize your participation in the field sobriety exercises as part of our defense in fighting off your DUI charges. We know how to challenge the reliability of the tests and raise doubts on the arresting officer’s motives in asking you to partake the tests. Fischer Redavid PLLC can help you navigate through this difficult legal process. We are transparent and are more than happy to explain to you our plans for defense to obtain the results that you want and deserve.

When you want to a representation who has trial-tested skills in defending clients facing DUI, give us a call at (954) 860-8434!