Pay Attention to What Happens During a Drunk Driving Stop

With football season here, and the winter holiday season coming up soon, now is the perfect time for people to remember some of the reasons they should avoid drunk driving. One of the most important is that they are putting their own life at risk when they drive after drinking. They are also risking the life of every innocent person who is on the road around them.

There are far too many options for getting home that don’t involve you having to drive drunk for you to decide that you will anyway. You can use public transportation, ask a friend who hasn’t had alcohol to bring you home or even take a rideshare home.

A police officer who sees a driver exhibiting signs of drunk driving might opt to stop the vehicle to investigate what’s going on. This is when you need to remember some specific rights. For one, you have the right to refuse a breath test; however, you might face consequences if you decide to decline the test.

The officer might ask for you to take a field sobriety test so they can gauge your impairment. This is a series of tests that require you to do specific actions. This is only part of what the officer uses to determine whether you are fine to drive or not.

Everything that happens during the traffic stop, during the arrest and after is important for your defense. You should let your attorney know if there is anything that you feel wasn’t handled correctly because you might be able to use that as part of your defense strategy. For example, if you weren’t read your rights when you were arrested but the officer chose to question you, this might be a component of your defense.