Field sobriety tests can be challenged, and in some cases, thrown out completely. If you’ve been charged with a DUI after failing one or more of these tests, you may be wondering whether those test results are really as damaging as the officer made them seem. The answer depends on how the tests were administered and whether the officer followed the rules.
Field sobriety tests have some known reliability issues, so results are far from a definitive measure of impairment. If you are facing a DUI charge in 2026, our Kane County, IL DUI defense lawyer can look at the details of your stop and help you figure out whether the test results should be used against you at all.
What Standardized Field Sobriety Tests Are Used in Illinois?
Illinois officers are trained to give three tests approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, the Walk and Turn test, and the One Leg Stand test. Together, these are called the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, or SFSTs.