What To Expect at a DUI Traffic Stop

Seeing those red and blue lights in your rearview is rarely cause for celebration. When a police officer pulls you over, you may not know the reasons, but they do. Sometimes, an officer pulls you over for one thing, like a broken taillight, but they really want to see if there is something else going on. If you find yourself being stopped by a police officer after a night out on the town, you have to attempt to prove that you are not impaired. Having a general knowledge of what you can during the stop may help you get through it in one piece.

Observing Your Reaction

The first thing an officer is trying to hone in on is your reaction to the stop. Do you seem overly anxious or shifty? While there is some measure of stress to be expected, if you are under the influence, the paranoia may be elevated to a rather high level. If you are moving about, needing to have questions repeated or seem oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, the police officer may pull you out of the vehicle for field sobriety testing at which point. You may start thinking of an available dui law firm in hillsborough county.

Your Willingness to Comply

When an officer asks you to exit the vehicle to take the field testing, your cooperation is essential. If you lash out, are belligerent or flat out refuse to cooperate, the officer will have more of a reason to believe you are hiding something. The last thing you want to do is give the officer a reason to put you in cuffs and in the back of the police car.

Testing Your Coordination

One of the critical things the field sobriety activities aim to test is your coordination. Can you balance? Do you have the ability to move only your fingers to your nose without moving your head? Police officers receive specialized training to administer roadside testing, and as such, they know the signs of impairment. Being uncoordinated or unable to balance can be a telltale sign that you are not sober.

Your Memory and Ability to Follow Directions

Police officers give a lot of directions when conducting roadside testing. Part of this is because they want to see if you have short-term memory loss. This is another sign that you may be impaired. If you are unable to follow what the officer is asking, they will assume you are under the influence of something.

A DUI checkpoint doesn’t have to be scary if you haven’t been drinking or don’t give the officers a reason to believe you have. Speak clearly, be cooperative and follow directions. Completing these things may keep you out of handcuffs.