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How Cops Spot a DUI

Written by David O
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How Cops Spot a DUI

Police Officer writing a ticket for DUILaw enforcement officers are trained to look for certain driving patterns that may indicate a driver is under the influence of alcohol and or drugs.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the three most common ways cops spot a DUI are; 1) wide turns, 2) straddling along the central marker between lanes, and 3) appearing to be drunk.

Officers must have a “reasonable cause” or a “reasonable suspicion” that a driver is violating the law in some manner to pull the driver over.  Reasonable cause and reasonable suspicion have no precise definition but it must be something supported by a collection of facts, for example an officer could see a car swerving and that minor moving violation would be enough for a stop.

An officer cannot pull someone over because they may have a hunch that person is DUI, they also cannot randomly pull drivers over in hopes they will find an individual that is DUI.

How Cops Spot a DUI

Here is the complete list of impaired driving signs cops are looking for when searching for DUIs.  The list, provided by the NHTSA, is in order from most common way a cop spots a DUI to least likely way.

  • Negotiating a wide turn
  • Straddling along the central marker between the lanes
  • Appearing to be drunk
  • Near misses or hitting either another vehicle or an object
  • Weaving between lanes
  • Driving off of designated highway
  • Swerving within the lane lines
  • Speeding over 10 mph above the designated speed limit
  • Questionable stops in traffic lanes
  • Tailgating
  • Drifting
  • Driving over center marker between lanes
  • Excessive braking
  • Driving against traffic
  • Questionable signaling
  • Delayed reaction to traffic signals
  • Inappropriate stopping or slowing
  • Illegal or unwarranted turns
  • Accelerating or slowing down quickly
  • Driving without headlights on

Interestingly enough, excessive speeding is not a sign of DUI.  Speeding requires quick reflexes and strong judgment, traits that are usually typical of a sober individual.  However if an individual is speeding and they also happen to be DUI, an officer would be able to investigate that individual for DUI even though they did not initially pull them over for DUI.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the above subject matter you can contact David at david@davidodefense.com.

 

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How You can Prevent a DUI – Tips on getting the Car Keys

Written by David O
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How You can Prevent a DUI – Tips on getting the Car Keys

You can prevent a DUI by taking the car keys away from a friend, family member, or someone who appears to be under the influence of alcohol. Follow these key collecting tips provided by the U.S Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

GET THE KEYS: How You Can Intervene

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Advertising Council’s Innocent Victims public service campaign emphasizes the need to intervene and get the keys away from someone about to drive drunk. Here are some helpful tips and advice from focus group research on how people can get the keys away from a drunk driver.
  1. If it is a close friend, try and use a soft, calm approach at first. Suggest to them that they’ve had too much to drink and it would be better if someone else drove or if they took a cab.
  2. Be calm. Joke about it. Make light of it.Vector Car key ring
  3. Try to make it sound like you are doing them a favor.
  4. If it is somebody you don’t know well, speak to their friends and have them make an attempt to persuade them to hand over the keys. Usually they will listen.
  5. If it’s a good friend, spouse, or significant other, tell them that if they insist on driving, you are not going with them. Suggest that you will call someone else for a ride, take a cab, or walk.
  6. Locate their keys while they are preoccupied and take them away. Most likely, they will think they’ve lost them and will be forced to find another mode of transportation.
  7. If possible, avoid embarrassing the person or being confrontational, particularly when dealing with men. This makes them appear vulnerable to alcohol and its effects.

 

If you have any questions about how to prevent a DUI or if you have recently been charged with a DUI, call David O Defense, 206-459-6392. Our DUI lawyers are here to help!

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Going to Court Drunk for your DUI Charge – NEVER a Good Idea –

Written by David O
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Use common sense when going to court!  It’s never a good idea to show up to court drunk or while under the influence of drugs, especially when you are required to be in court for a DUI or any type of alcohol or drug related charge.  Unfortunately, some individuals are so stressed, they make the horrible mistake of attending court drunk or high, hoping the alcohol or drugs will calm their nerves while they are in front of the judge.

Just recently, in Grand Island, New York, a 44-year-old man drunkenly stood before a judge where he was convicted of a DUI charge that he acquired on Dec. 29th by crashing his car into the Niagara River and was later rescued by firefighters.

Apparently, after being found guilty of the DUI charge, the intoxicated man was allowed to leave the court but had been warned by the court not to drive.

Failing to follow orders not to drive drunk, the man walked out of court, got into his car and proceeded to leave the parking lot.  Shortly there after, deputies pulled the man over and arrested him for drunk driving.  The man was hauled into jail and was charged with felony DUI.

NEVER a good idea to show up to court drunk!

judge and policeThe man was very lucky to even have the opportunity to go home, because here in Washington State, most judges would have immediately thrown him into jail for violating his  “Standard Conditions of Release.”

Washington State judges require anyone charged with DUI to adhere to the Standard Conditions of Release while their DUI case is ongoing.  The Standard Conditions of Release generally include the following conditions:

  • No consumption of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs (including marijuana).
  • Do not drive without a valid license and insurance.
  • Abide by the law (no new criminal law violations).
  • No refusal of breath, blood or urine test upon reasonable request of law enforcement.
  • Attend all court hearings.
  • Notify the court of any address changes.

Here at David O Defense we understand that court can be very stressful, however drinking alcohol or smoking some marijuana to calm nerves will only make an individual’s situation worse. The judge will most likely throw that person into jail where they will likely stay until they post a large bail amount or until their DUI case resolves.

Just remember: It’s NEVER a good idea to show up to court under the influence of drugs and or alcohol!

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