In this segment, I want to talk about the response to questioning if you're stopped for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
One of the first questions that the police are always going to ask is "have you been drinking?" And if you respond yes they're going to ask "how much?". And I can guarantee you having watched hundreds, if not thousands of videos, everybody that's ever been stopped by the police has drank two or three beers. It's amazing. Maybe that's all that the bars serve or maybe that's all that people think they should have before they hop in a car but that's the universal answer.
So guess what? The police have probably heard it a lot more than I have so they're going to expect you to say two or three beers. And no matter what you say they're not going to believe you. So if you say you had one beer that's not going to prevent them from going ahead and administering the field sobriety test and doing any further investigation that they feel is necessary.
So if you're asked how much you had to drink, just politely decline to answer, and it's even better if you don't ever get that far. They don't really need to ask you if you've had anything to drink because they can probably smell it. So all you're doing is confirming their suspicion. Again, it's not something that you have to answer. But when you do you're not gonna help yourself out by saying two or three. And the flip side of that doesn't help you out either so don't say 10 or 15. They probably will believe that.
Why Did The Police Stop Me?
The police must have reasonable cause to stop your vehicle in traffic. In order to reduce your chances of having an encounter with the police while on the road, you should know about common infractions that give them more reason to pull you over:
- Driving without your headlights at night or if you have one headlight/taillight out
- Cracked windshield or windows
- Rolling through a stop sign instead of making a complete stop
- Speeding
- Missing or disobeying traffic signs (illegal U-turns, for example)
- Expired registration or inspection
Make sure your car has all its basic functions and tags and that you follow posted signs and local traffic laws. However, if there were no violations and no evidence of criminal activity yet you get stopped, the stop could be in violation of your constitutional rights and you should seek legal help.
Just one more thing that you need to be aware of. Of course, the best advice that anyone can give is to don't drink and drive. That's not the law but it's the way that you can at least protect yourself as best you can against getting hauled into court and having to defend against a DWI charge.
Contact Specially-Trained And Highly Experienced Waco DWI Attorney Walter Reaves
If you've been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Waco, McLennan County, or Bell, Falls, Bosque or Hill County, contact the Law Office of Walter Reaves, P.C., at 254-781-3588 for a free consultation with our Waco DWI lawyer. Don't wait - the future of you and your family is too important.
