Everyone knows about field sobriety tests. We’ve all heard or seen the walk and turn, the one leg stand, and maybe even the horizontal gaze nystagmus (where they make you follow a pen with your eyes and go left to right across your face). And I think at some point we’ve all heard of the ABCs test.

Well, I’m a Seattle DUI attorney, and I’m here today to tell you that the ABC’s test is not a real field sobriety test (as much as the others might be, which is not much). In fact, it’s a load of bull. Yet cops still use it to try to determine if someone is too drunk to drive.

The ABC’s test, or alphabet test, usually goes one of two ways, either, “say your ABC’s from start to finish,” or “start at the letter K and go to the letter W.” Either way the test is a bunch of crap, and here’s why.

The first reason, which is the most obvious, is that it provides no indication of your ability to safely operate a car. It has nothing to do with driving and has nothing to do with coordination. It’s hard to think about what a cop could learn from you reciting your ABC’s that would provide him information about whether or not you can drive.

Second, the test isn’t fair. There are a lot people in America, and many of them have one of two problems. Either they don’t have a high level of education, or they don’t speak English natively. If either of those two problems are present, they are going to have a hard time reciting the alphabet. And trust me, I know how “easy” the alphabet is, but think about how “easy” it is if you don’t know how to read well or how easy it is to say the French alphabet.

Third, and finally, there is no scientific evidence to back up the alphabet test at all. None. Ask any Seattle DUI attorney and they’ll tell you the test is bogus because there aren’t any scoring criteria. As bad as the walk and turn and one leg stand are, at least someone has attempted to find a relationship between performance on the tests and sobriety (though they have failed miserably – a subject for another article at another time). Without any objective scoring criteria it’s impossible to know is someone has passed or failed.

I know I’m a DUI attorney, so I’m a little biased. But I can tell you one thing – I don’t like drunk drivers on the road any more than you do. What I also don’t like, though, are people being accused of drunk driving because they failed recite the alphabet properly when there’s no connection between the two.

The best thing you can do if asked to do the alphabet test is to politely decline.

Related Articles:

• Motorcycle Wrecks: Things to Know in the Aftermath
• Three Questions that Must Be Answered for a Successful Law Firm Marketing Plan
• Civil and Criminal Litigators
• How to Know When a New Hire is In Order for Your New Company
• Divorce Lawyers Allen Can Expedite Proceedings
• Woodland Hills Injury Lawyer: Taking Every Personal Injury Case Seriously
• An Inglewood Personal Injury Lawyer Can Properly Represent Victims
• Fannin Law: Discussing Personal Injury Options
• For Making Claims Effectively: Consider Sherman Oaks Auto Accident Lawyer
• Possible Scenarios that Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer Can Immediately Move for Dismissal