Are the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests Fair to Fatter People?
Being overweight can impact your performance on the standardized field sobriety tests. The government agency tasked with verifying the validity of the standardized field sobriety tests is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (hereinafter NHTSA). NHTSA concedes that being fifty or more pounds overweight affects performance on the one-leg stand test; a test requiring the suspect to raise a foot off the ground and stand on one foot for 30 seconds. See NHTSA, DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Participant’s Manual (2006), re: WAT at VIII-11, re: OLS at VIII-13. Id. re: 50 lbs at VIII-13. In older versions and in the early validation studies, the same overweight warnings were applied to the walk and turn test. Given that 64.5 percent of Americans are overweight and 30.5 percent are obese, we see that a vast number of Americans may be bad subject for at least two of the three standardized field sobriety tests. See Dixie L. Thompson, Jennifer Rakow, Sara M. Perdue, Relationship between Accumulated Walking and Body Composition in Middle-Ages Women, OFFICIAL J. OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE, 913 (Jan. 2004). Science also tells us that age, physical activity and gender can affect the performance on the standardized field sobriety tests. Charles M. Rowland II has completed the most recent NHTSA training in standardized field sobriety tests and can help you aggressively fight your Ohio DUI case.
DUI attorney Charles M. Rowland II dedicates his practice to defending the accused drunk driver in Fairborn, Dayton, Springfield, Kettering, Vandalia, Xenia, Miamisburg, Huber Heights, Beavercreek, Springboro, Centerville and throughout Ohio. He has the credentials and the experience to win your case and has made himself the Miami Valley’s choice for DUI defense. Contact Charles Rowland by phone at 937-318-1DUI (937-318-1384), 937-879-9542, or toll-free at 1-888-ROWLAND (888-769-5263). For after-hours help contact our 24/7 DUI HOTLINE at 937-776-2671. For information about Dayton DUI sent directly to your mobile device, text DaytonDUI (one word) to 50500. Follow DaytonDUI on Twitter @DaytonDUI or Get Twitter updates via SMS by texting DaytonDUI to 40404. DaytonDUI is also available on Facebook, and on the DaytonDUI channel on YouTube. You can also email Charles Rowland at: CharlesRowland@DaytonDUI.com or write to us at 2190 Gateway Dr., Fairborn, Ohio 45324.
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