Forgot your password?

What Happens If You Get Pulled-over For DUI

By Edited Jun 28, 2016 0 0

Drinking and driving is never a good idea. If you want to avoid encountering problems with the police, you must never drink and drive. It is better to hail a cab home, designate a driver, or sleep it off at a friend's house than spending time in jail. Even if you aren't drunk, police officers can still make an arrest.

You have to understand that police officers have the grounds to arrest you for violating any traffic rules, such as running a stop sign, over speeding, or driving without a license and registration. Remember though that reasonable suspicion allows these officers to pull you over. To make an arrest, the officer must have probable cause to think that you have committed a crime. For instance, if you smell like alcohol, you have blood shot eyes, or your speech is slurred, the officer has a cause to make an arrest.

Stay Calm And Be Polite

If a police officer decided to pull you over, he must have noticed something about your driving behavior. For instance, you might have run a stop sign, failed to make a turn signal, or you might have been driving erratically- especially if you are drunk. If this does happen, stay calm and remember to be polite to the officer. Even if you are drunk, try to remember this through the haze and cloud in your mind. You will gain nothing by being confrontational. In fact, if you act belligerent, you might give the officer a good reason to arrest you.

The officer might ask to see your driver's license and registration, and he may also ask you to get out of the car to take a sobriety test. But you can't be certain of this the moment they asked you to stop; thus, you must remain calm and don't panic.

Take A Field Sobriety Test

If the officer observed any sign of intoxication, such as the smell of liquor on your breath, or slurred speech, or erratic driving, he will conduct a field sobriety test. This test is basically a set of coordination exercises which are very difficult for people who are drunk. The test may involve walking in a straight line, following a light with your eye, or standing in one leg.

Remember that these tests must be performed by the officer and it must be under certain conditions and instructions. If the officer failed to set up the test properly, the test may not be considered admissible in court. You also have the right to refuse the test without explaining why. However, you have to understand that your refusal may give the officer another reason to suspect your behavior.

Lastly, the officer might ask you to submit a sample of your breath for analysis. They will ask you to blow into a machine that can analyze the blood alcohol content. You have to know that these machines are not always a hundred percent accurate. If you are arrested for DUI, immediately contact a DUI lawyer to help you with your case.




Add a new comment - No HTML

Explore InfoBarrel


Follow IB Lifestyle