Field sobriety tests often play a significant role in DUI cases. Reasonable suspicion must be present for a law enforcement officer to pull you over. Even if the officer observes you leaving a bar at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, he or she may not pull you over unless you commit a traffic infraction.
You must be violating traffic laws in some way– weaving back and forth across the center line, driving extremely slowly or at an excessive speed, running a stop sign, etc. – for the officer to legally pull you over. So, assuming you were driving erratically and were pulled over, the officer now needs probable cause to charge you with DUI.
That probable cause is usually obtained through a field sobriety test unless you are obviously slurring your words or passing out while being questioned. Field sobriety tests are not required, but few people know this, and the officer is unlikely to share that information. If you were arrested and charged with DUI after taking a field sobriety test, it is important that you speak to an experienced Rolling Meadows, IL DUI lawyer.