Avoid DUI At Any Cost!

Avoid DUI Penalties

The best way to avoid DUI penalties is to simply avoid drinking and driving at all costs. Sure, having a drink and getting behind the wheel isn't illegal, but should some cop trying to meet a quota pull you over, you can be that it's going to be a costly hassle to explain yourself. Moreover, once you've been convicted of a DUI offense, there's little hope of getting your life back on track any time soon. Should you be pulled over for a DUI offense, you might want to look at the following tips carefully.

• First, be sure that your documentation is organized in your glove compartment where you can find it. Fumbling around for paperwork may only add to the officer's suspicions that you have been drinking and driving.
• Second, remember the officer's position during the stop. Police officers get killed on a fairly regular basis during traffic stops, so it would be a good idea if you didn't do anything to alarm the officer as he's standing next to your car. If it's dark outside, turn your interior lights on. Keep your hands on the steering wheel where the officer can see them.
• Be sure to answer all of the officer's questions politely, but it's a good idea at this point if you don't admit anything readily. Remember that if you are charged with a DUI offense, anything that you have said to the officer can be entered into the court records.
• The officer may ask you to take a field sobriety test. In most states, it is your right to refuse to take these tests, so it's a good idea if you do so. These tests can and will hurt you should you ever actually see a courtroom at some point.
• It's also a good idea to refuse the initial breathalyzer test in the field. This is only grounds for the officer to begin a DUI investigation, and in most cases, refusing the preliminary field screening won't automatically make you lose your license.
• If you're actually arrested, stop talking until you've seen an attorney. Call an attorney as soon as you arrive at the police station.

DUI By States

Above all, even if you refuse certain tests, it is your responsibility to be polite, helpful, and cooperative. The officer has some measure of discretion as to whether or not to take you to the station for further blood alcohol testing, and should you be polite, he may let you off with a warning which can save you quite a bit of time and hassle.