Plano, Frisco, Dallas, Fort Worth DWI Law Firm
We have long argued that the Standard Field Sobriety Tests (SFST) used in DWI arrests is junk science. The so called “tests” have never been peer reviewed and are actually not science at all. In fact, they are not really tests at all, rather, they are physical agility exercises that are subjective in nature. SFSTs are designed to check “divided attention”, a critical skill in operating a motor vehicle. However, there are many people who, for many innocent reasons, cannot perform these tests to the officer’s satisfaction, and pay the price with a D.W.I. arrest.
Nevertheless, these tests are used by law enforcement every night to arrest our citizens. If you have ever wanted a glimpse inside the officer’s training manual, here you go. SFST Manual. You will see exactly how the officer is supposed to conduct these tests otherwise the VALIDITY IS COMPROMISED! This is NHTSA’s conclusion taken straight from the instruction manual, and many officers will admit this under cross examination.
Lets take a close look at what the tests are supposed to look like.