What to Do If You Are Pulled Over While Driving
Anyone who has driven for any length of time has likely been pulled over by law enforcement. You can get pulled over for a variety of things and some of them are not all that serious. For instance, if you have a break light out, a police officer will pull you over and write you a warning. You might have to follow up to prove you had the light replaced and your car is functioning safely. In other cases, an officer pulls you over because you have broken a driving law or you are driving erratically. Regardless of why you were pulled over, it is important to be pleasant and polite. If the issue is serious, you will be able to work with a DUI lawyer or at a later time to get the issue resolved. Acting with respect during the incident will help you later when you are in court.
When you are pulled over, determine why. If it is not obvious to you, be sure the officer explains his reasoning or you ask him out right. It is within your rights to know if you are being accused of a crime. Typically, when the officer approaches your vehicle, he or she will explain what is going on. They might ask if you realized you were going too fast or you had been out with friends earlier in the evening. Before you share any information with the officer, be sure you know what you are being targeted for.
No matter what the reason is, it is important to explain yourself with as few words as possible. If you ran a stop sign and it was an honest mistake, you can explain that to the officer. Chances are if nobody was injured and your law breaking was minor, you will get no more than a traffic citation. In many cases, officers let a driver go with only a warning, especially if the driver has a clean driving history. However, if the problem is more severe, you need to make sure you say or do nothing to incriminate yourself. Anything you say during the traffic stop can be used later when you are in court. If you admit to something, whether it is true or not, it can result in more serious problems. It is better to say as little as possible.
If the officer suspects you have been driving under the influence of alcohol, he might ask you to take a field sobriety test. In some states, it is legal for a driver to refuse this type of test and request a blood or urine test. These chemical tests are more accurate, so if you want to be sure your results are true, request this type of test. Do not refuse all of the tests because that can make things more difficult in the long run. Just opt for the most accurate test, if possible.
Finally, contact legal counsel as soon as possible. If the officer indicates you are going to be taken in for further questioning, ask to speak to your legal counsel before doing anything else. By law, the officers must wait for legal counsel to arrive before trying to gather further information from you, once you have noted you are unwilling to talk without counsel.
Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter learned quite a bit about the merits of hiring a great attorney when he spent a day with a respected Clermont County DUI lawyer helping to make their practices more efficient. He was very impressed with a Mason DUI lawyer who represented his son.
Category: Legal
Keywords: Clermont County DUI lawyer,Mason DUI lawyer