A Michigan DUI Lawyer Discusses Manual Dexterity Tests

Your Michigan DUI lawyer can show that although research into the accuracy of handwriting tests has been conducted, the outcomes are somewhat inconclusive. The results, as your Michigan DUI attorney can explain, indicated that a person’s handwriting does alter somewhat if any alcohol is present at all, but alcohol by itself is insufficient to account for those changes.

Do Other Studies Confirm This?
Not necessarily, as your Michigan DUI attorney can tell you. Ultimately, the research supports the premise that although handwriting was seen to worsen in a study that involved both men and women whose writing was tested before and after alcohol had been ingested, the level of alcohol present could not be accurately discerned. The upshot of the research was that handwriting is not a reliable means of measuring alcohol intake.

First Test of Manual Dexterity
Your Michigan DUI attorney can point to two tests that are intended to measure the level to which manual coordination has been impaired due to alcohol. The first of these involves the subject’s extending one hand in front with the palm facing up. The subject is then instructed to put the other hand on top of the first with the palm down. The hand on top will pat the other as the lower hand is turned up and down repeatedly while building up the speed at which the lower hand moves.

Accuracy of the Test
Your Michigan DUI attorney can tell you that since the lower hand moves faster and faster, it becomes easy to confuse the hand motions rather than giving a precise tap. The subject’s hand may pat twice, or the person might make a chopping movement rather than a pat, or some other misstep.

Second Test of Manual Dexterity
The other test that your Michigan DUI attorney can show involves the subject retrieving coins from the hood of his/her vehicle. The coins are laid out and the subject is asked to pick them up single-handedly. For a subject who is unable due to a medical condition to bend down, this test precludes any additional stress to the person’s back or legs. Scientific research is lacking with regard to this field sobriety test, so its reliability is questionable. It is not a test that is frequently administered.

Contact a Michigan DUI Attorney for More Information
If you have been subjected to any of the above types of field sobriety testing, be sure you have the help you need. Contact the Law Offices of Christopher Trainor & Associates by calling 800-961-8477 today.