If you are driving and you may have been out enjoying, and you notice the blue and red lights of a friendly police car behind you, what should you do?
First, pull over as soon as possible. Park in a legal parking spot. Ideally this will be in a well lit and level parking lot. Have your license, registration and insurance card ready to hand to the officer. In almost all DUI reports the officer will state that the Defendant fumbled with their paperwork, or was unable to locate the documents in a timely fashion.
One of the things that most people do not realize is that an officer is under no obligation to read you the Miranda warnings on the side of the road. The officer is under no obligation to tell you he suspects you have been drinking. So when he asks you if you have been drinking or where you are coming from, you should not admit that you have been drinking at all (and no one will believe that you just had two beers) or that you are coming home from the bar. Do not lie to the officer, just make no statements.
As soon as the officer asks you to step out of the car, you are likely going to jail. In Part 2, we will discuss what to do and what not to do on the side of the road.
To read Part 2 of our “What To Do During a DUI Stop” series, CLICK HERE.
