Stopped For DUI Or DWI In Texas? Here Are Important Things To Do
Part 1
In case you have gotten pulled over for a DUI or DWI, then it’s already too late trying to reduce your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). And if you are found to have exceeded the legal requirement, the police officer will indeed arrest you. If you want to safeguard your rights from being abused, reach out to a defense lawyer as soon as possible. Go for the one who particularly specializes and is conversant in DWI defense law.
I. Your BAC
You’ll want to avoid getting pulled over for DWI. So first thing first, you’ll have to keep your blood alcohol content at a safely low limit. That action significantly diminishes the risk of a DWI or DUI arrest and also reduces accident risks.
However, achieving a legal BAC level does not entirely absorb you from getting arrested. Why is this? Police officers in the majority of the states can arrest people for impaired driving even if they have attained legal BACs.
The risk of getting pulled over for DWI significantly increases as the BAC gets nearer the illegal level. This is mainly because breathalyzers generate false readings most of the time. If your score is close to the limit, an inaccurate reading can push you just over the legal limit, which results in an arrest.
Standard Drinks
For this reason, you must keep your blood alcohol content below the illegal level. Don’t allow an erroneous breathalyzer reading to nail you unfairly.
Our bodies are not really temples of anything; they are microbreweries with legs. A standard drink constitutes a:
- 5 ounce of dinner wine
- Bottle of beer or a 12 ounce can
- A shot (1.5 ounces) of spirits like rum, tequila, whiskey, etc.
II. When Stopped for DWI or DUI
When you hear the siren and see the blinking blue and red lights of a police vehicle, turn on your light indicators and safely pull over the road’s shoulder. In case you are a woman and are feeling uneasy when it’s dark outside, you can turn on the hazard lights and slowly drive to a well-lit area you feel safe.
Regardless, make sure to stop the engine and remain in your car. In the event it’s dark, you can switch the dome light on, then slowly roll down the windows while keeping the other arm firmly on the steering wheel. This is necessary for the officer not to profile you as a potential threat to his or her welfare.
You can expect the police officer to request for your proof of insurance plus license and registration. Don’t make any sudden movements. If your insurance card and registration documents are in the glove box, inform the police officer of the same. Then ask him or her whether it’s okay to open the compartment. If the license is inside the purse, inform the officer before reaching for it.
Remain Silent
What if the police officer(s) ask who’s your attorney? Just answer that you won’t say anything without your attorney being present.
Note that any police officer that pulls you over suspects that you are intoxicated and is just fishing at that point. They are only looking for sufficient grounds to arrest you. Bear in mind that the police officer doesn’t have enough evidence, and that’s why they are asking questions.
Visit our blog for more related articles. We also invite you to contact or call us today if you are in need of the best DWI Law Attorney in Houston. Click here for the second article in this series.