When hearing about a person being arrested for drunk driving, a person in South Carolina may not always know exactly what transpires during this process. Certainly a driver’s blood alcohol level may need to be obtained but that is not the only type of testing that may occur. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association has sanctioned three other tests for use during the investigation phase. According to FieldSobrietyTests.org, this battery of tests is not meant to prove that a person is intoxicated or determine a level of intoxication. Instead, the field sobriety tests are used to establish enough evidence to support a drunk driving arrest.
One of these tests is called the one-leg stand. It is only said to be 65-percent accurate. In this test, you could be asked to balance on one leg and count out loud. Your arms must remain firmly affixed to your sides. If you attempt to use your arms to balance or put your lifted foot down even for a moment, you may be at risk of failing this test.
A person could have trouble performing this test due to knee problems, conditions that negatively impact their ability to balance. It is also possible that a person could be so nervous during the process that balance may be hindered.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give South Carolina residents an overview of one of the three types of field sobriety tests used by law enforcement officers during a drunk driving arrest or investigation.