Under Washington State DUI laws, field sobriety tests are optional. If you pass the field sobriety tests with a perfect score and the law enforcement officer notices no other signs of intoxication, there may be no DUI arrest.
However, any score less than a perfect score will often result in a DUI arrest. A study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration examining the accuracy of the One Leg Stand DUI test showed a 35% failure rate in identifying a person with a .10% or lower blood alcohol concentration.
There are many other good reasons to decline to submit to an optional field sobriety test. If you are under investigation of DUI, you should invoke your right to silence and ask to speak to a DUI attorney. Cristine Beckwith is an experienced Tacoma DUI lawyer who has successfully challenged the results of field sobriety tests in court.
Call us today for a free consultation.