| This
description of the Divided Attention Test posted
by Florida DUI Lawyer. *
Parks
& Braxton, your best resource for a Florida
DUI Lawyer, wants you to be well informed.
Here is a basic description of the Divided
Attention Test:
The
walk-and-turn test and one-leg stand test are
"divided attention" tests that require
a suspect to listen to and follow instructions
while performing simple physical movements. Impaired
persons have difficulty with tasks requiring their
attention to be divided between simple mental
and physical exercises.
In
the walk-and-turn test, the subject is directed
to take nine steps, heel-to-toe, along a straight
line. After taking the steps, the suspect must
turn on one foot and return in the same manner
in the opposite direction. The examiner looks
for seven indicators of impairment: if the suspect
cannot keep balance while listening to the instructions,
begins before the instructions are finished, stops
while walking to regain balance, does not touch
heel-to-toe, uses arms to balance, loses balance
while turning, or takes an incorrect number of
steps. NHTSA research indicates that 68 percent
of individuals who exhibit two or more indicators
in the performance of the test will have a BAC
of 0.10 or greater. In the one-leg stand test,
the suspect is instructed to stand with one foot
approximately six inches off the ground and count
aloud by thousands (One thousand-one, one thousand-two,
etc.) until told to put the foot down. The officer
times the subject for a 30 seconds. The officer
looks for four indicators of impairment, including
swaying while balancing, using arms to balance,
hopping to maintain balance, and putting the foot
down. NHTSA research indicates that 65 percent
of individuals who exhibit two or more such indicators
in the performance of the test will have a BAC
of 0.10 of greater. The effectiveness of SFST
in court testimony and evidence depends upon the
cumulative total of impairment indicators provided
by the three-test battery.
*
This material is for informational purposes only.
If you want to know how the SFST tests affect
you, please contact Florida DUI Lawyers, Parks
& Braxton
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