At times, the police will administer sobriety tests that lack proven reliability. Such tests include the handwriting, hand-pat, and coin pick-up tests. These unproven indicators of intoxication are unfounded bases for DUI arrests, and if you have been charged with a DUI as a result of one or more of these tests, a Carmel DUI defense attorney can help you fight these charges and better understand your rights.

Handwriting Tests

An arrest based on the determination of intoxication based on a handwriting test may be challenged. While some studies have shown that ingestion of alcohol does affect handwriting ability, such changes have not been found to necessarily be attributable to the effects of alcohol consumption alone. Also, in one study, 35 individuals were instructed to demonstrate handwriting abilities before and after drinking alcohol. Researchers could not conclusively determine how the impact of drinking on handwriting could be accurately measured as related to blood-alcohol content.

Hand-Pat and Coin Pick-Up Tests

Two other unreliable sobriety tests are the hand-pat or coin pick-up tests.

A hand-pat test is where an officer instructs a suspect to place one hand palm up with the other hand on top, palm facing down. The suspect is then instructed to pat the bottom hand once with the top hand, rotate 180 degrees, pat the bottom hand with the back of the top hand, and then repeat with increasing speed. In most cases, regardless of sobriety levels, most people cannot maintain the clean pat-and-switch actions consistently and slip into a chopping or double-patting motion upon each rotation.

Equally as unreliable is the coin pick-up test, which an officer may employ where a party informs an officer he or she has a bad back or knees during questioning preceding a sobriety test.  In a coin pick up test, an officer instructs a person to pick up coins on a flat surface with one hand within arms’ reach, so as not to rely upon balancing on the legs. As a Carmel DUI defense attorney can further explain, this test lacks any scientific backup or indicia of reliability and is an unfounded basis on which to make a DUI arrest.

Being charged with a DUI is a frightening and serious occurrence. If you have been arrested on these charges on the basis of a handwriting, hand-pat, or coin pick-up test, you may be able to get these charges dismissed. For more information, call Thomas Nash, dedicated Carmel DUI defense attorney, today for a free initial consultation.