Even if you are 100 percent sober, there’s something nerve-racking about pulling up to a DUI checkpoint. Of course, if you have had a drink in the recent past, your anxiety level will go through the roof.
The more time you spend on the road, the greater chance there is that you will eventually run into a DUI checkpoint. If you’re unable to avoid a checkpoint, here are a few things you should expect:
- You have to stop your vehicle. One time after the next, courts have come to the conclusion that these checkpoints are legal.
- You have the option to turn around as opposed to going through the checkpoint. Of course, an officer can stop your vehicle if you make an illegal maneuver or appear suspicious.
- A search at a DUI checkpoint does not always happen. Instead, searches must be reasonable. In most cases, the stop is nothing more than a conversation and potentially the request for your license and registration. If you appear to be under the influence, you may be asked to perform a field sobriety test.
It’s always in your best interest to stay off the road if you have been drinking. Not only does this keep you out of hot water with the law, but it’s the safe thing to do.
If you are stopped at a DUI checkpoint and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, you need to learn more about what went wrong.
As you collect information pertaining to your case, while also learning more about your legal rights, you can decide what to do next.
Source: FindLaw, “What Happens at a DUI Checkpoint?,” accessed March 01, 2018