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Studies show that closing the eyes make all of the balance
and coordination tests much more difficult for sober
individuals to perform. Peripheral vision plays a particularly
important role in maintaining balance. By having a person
close their eyes, the officer takes away their visual
frame of reference necessary in order to assess the
level of impairment with any degree of reliability.
Nowhere in any of the SFST is a person required to close
their eyes while performing any part of the tests. A
test may be further compromised by placing the defendant
in an imbalanced position by having them tilt their
head back or bend at the waist. During over a hundred
controlled drinking exercises administered or assisted
by me, I have seen the vast majority of volunteers have
difficulty with these type of Sway tests even when completely
sober. |