6 Effective Steps To Take When Stopped For A DUI
1. Pull Over In A Calm Manner
If you have been pulled over for suspected DUI, the first thing you need to do is to remain calm. This is extremely important if you want to avoid being arrested. Police officers will be watching you every move, so do not pull over in an erratic fashion. Pull over slowly and in safe location, if possible. If the officer sees that you are pulling over in an erratic manner, they may write it in their report.
If you have been drinking, do not panic when you see the police’s lights. Instead, roll down your windows and turn on the interior lights. This will give the officer the opportunity to assess your situation. Be courteous and respectful to the police. A rude driver is more likely to be arrested. Keeping your cool is very important to avoid a DUI arrest. It can save your life. You can follow these tips and be on your way to sobriety free!
2. Be Polite At All Times
If you’ve been pulled over for a DUI, remember to stay calm and compliant. Never swear, slur your speech, or stuff gum in your mouth – this can all be used against you at trial. Also, never give the officer any reason to believe you’re under the influence. Instead, use respectable language. Remember, the officer is a law enforcement officer and you’re not their buddy.
If you’re pulled over for a traffic violation, remember to be courteous and respectful at all times. Police officers tend to use slurred speech and aggressive language, so keep your cool and be as polite as possible. However, you should never resist arrest or attempt to elude the officer by evading their questions. Be sure to bring your ID, too. Remember, the officers will probably ask for it.
Being polite is the best defense against a DUI charge. Police officers write reports about DUI arrests, so treating them with respect will ensure your case is not a total loss. Remember, the police officer’s job is to protect themselves, so be respectful and don’t move your hands quickly when they ask you to show identification. Failure to produce proper identification could result in an arrest without your knowledge. Also, remember that the police will record every minute of your stop.
If you’ve been drinking, you may have been pulled over for DUI. Your bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and odor of alcohol are all signs that you’ve been drinking. If you’ve had any of these signs, you should be polite and ask the officer what he/she was looking for. Remember to be polite when answering the officer’s question about alcohol. If you feel you’re too drunk to answer, don’t answer anything.
3. Do Not Admit To Drinking
If you are stopped for DUI, do not admit to drinking. Police officers record their conversations. Do not appear rude, irrational, or drunk. Address the officer politely, avoiding a confrontation. Do not admit to drinking in the past 24 hours. Police officers can use any statement made during the arrest against you in court. Likewise, don’t apologize for driving while intoxicated.
If you’ve been drinking, the police officer may ask you several questions. If you admit to drinking, your answers may affect your DUI case. Your answer may indicate that you’re not fully sober, and the officer might be inclined to arrest you anyway. If you say “I don’t remember drinking,” you’re committing a major faux pas that will come back to haunt you. As a result, your case could be harsher than you think.
If you haven’t been drinking, you can answer “no” to the police’s question. But if you have, you should refrain from lying, as this will incriminate you. Instead, you should explain what type of alcohol you’ve been drinking, how much, and when. You should also refrain from taking the police’s field sobriety test. This way, you’ll avoid the possibility of driving under the influence.
4. Do Not Submit To Any Field Sobriety Tests
If you have been pulled over for a DUI, you have probably been asked to submit to some type of field sobriety test. This is completely voluntary and your refusal to take the test will not result in a dismissal of your DUI case. Although it is possible to contest the results of a breathalyzer test, you may want to avoid taking one.
There are several reasons why you shouldn’t take a field sobriety test if you’ve been pulled over for DUI. The first reason is that these tests can be inaccurate. Drivers with high BACs may pass the test and a sober person may fail it. It’s also not entirely clear how these tests work. If you refuse to take one, you may find yourself threatened with worse consequences than if you’d submitted to it. Ultimately, the court will decide whether you’ve been guilty of a crime or not.
Another reason to refuse field sobriety tests is because they are not required by law. Moreover, if you refuse a breathalyzer test, you could be convicted of DUI. Refusing to take a breathalyzer test can result in serious penalties for a DUI. A good DWI defense attorney will be able to find a way to invalidate the results of the breathalyzer test.
5. Do Not Submit To Taking A Chemical Tests
If you are pulled over and suspected of driving under the influence, you may be asked to submit to a chemical test. Refusing to submit to a chemical test can have serious consequences, including immediate license suspension and criminal charges. Fortunately, there are ways to fight back against a refusal, if you have the proper legal representation.
The first step to protecting your rights is understanding the laws governing this. There are many consequences for refusing to take a chemical test, including a suspended license, fines, ignition interlock device installation, and other penalties. Even if you did not have the legal right to refuse the test, the prosecution may use it to your advantage during the trial. You should consult with an attorney as soon as possible to determine your legal options.
Taking a chemical test is a legal right for a person pulled over for DUI. But it doesn’t automatically mean that the police will stop you. Even if they have reasonable suspicion to pull you over, they may not have probable cause to arrest you. In such a case, they must provide warnings that are clear and comprehensible to you. When the warnings fail to communicate this to you, a refusal to take a chemical test may not be a criminal offense, but a DUI conviction can have severe consequences.
6. Do Not Make Any Statement After Being Arrested
If you have been stopped by a police officer for driving under the influence, do not make any statements. While it is true that you may be asked several questions by the officer, you do not have to answer them. You can provide your name, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance, but do not make any other statements. Your every statement is recorded and could be used against you in court.
First, you should be aware of your Miranda rights. Your right to remain silent will only become relevant after the police officer has read your Miranda warnings to you. If you have been handcuffed, you must ask the officer if they can read your Miranda rights before speaking to you. Unless you are in custody, any statements you make may be admissible in court. Therefore, it is very important to read your Miranda rights carefully.
If you are asked to take a chemical test, you should refuse. Refusal to take a chemical test may result in a 1-year administrative license suspension. This suspension can be extended if you do not take the test. Refusing to submit to a test does not automatically mean you are guilty of DUI, but it does mean that you will have to serve the suspension. Therefore, if you refuse to take a breathalyzer test, the officer can charge you with a DUI if he or she believes that you are guilty of driving under the influence.
We also invite you to contact us or call us today if you are in need of the best DWI Law Attorney in Houston. Visit our blog for more related articles.