Recovering Your Reputation

Getting pulled over by police after you've been drinking can be a scary and stressful experience. A DUI can lead to serious consequences that create challenges in your personal and professional life. You could lose driving privileges, pay fines, and even go to jail. Your decisions and actions during the traffic stop can greatly impact whether or not you are charged and your possible sentence. Below are some tips to keep in mind during your traffic stop to minimize the damage.

Stay Calm

Your behavior and conversation with the officer during the stop can influence the outcome. The police officer will pull you over for other reasons, like speeding or running a red light. You may get a traffic ticket if you stay calm and polite in your interactions with the officer. However, if you are agitated, anxious, or confrontational, the officer could suspect you are intoxicated and ask you to perform sobriety tests. Staying calm doesn't guarantee you'll escape without a DUI, but it does minimize the chances that the situation will escalate into something more serious.

Be Specific When Discussing Alcohol

The officer may ask you if you've had anything to drink. There's no reason to lie in this situation. If you say you haven't had anything to drink or if you refuse to answer the question, the police officer can still ask you to perform field sobriety tests. While it is your right not to answer the question, you may consider giving an honest and detailed reply, especially if you feel you are not impaired. If you've only had one or two drinks, be specific and tell them that. Also, tell them the duration of time. For example, if you had two beers in two hours, be transparent about it. That information will be added to the report, which could help your case later. That could also strengthen your case if you can show proof that you only had a couple of drinks, like with a restaurant receipt.

Refuse Tests

The officer may ask you to perform field sobriety tests or take a blood alcohol test. You may feel pressure to say yes, but you are not required to take these tests. In fact, it may not be in your best interests to take them. Field sobriety tests are notoriously subjective to the officer's judgment. Blood alcohol tests can also be inaccurate. If you take the tests, the results will be used against you, and it will be up to you to prove that the tests were flawed. If you refuse the tests, the court will have little evidence to use against you, making it easier to dismiss or reduce the charges. Some states have laws that result in an automatic license suspension if you refuse tests. However, that may still be preferable to all of the other penalties that come with a DUI.

Are you facing DUI charges? Contact a DUI lawyer in your area today. They can review your case and defend you against the charges.