When police officers pull drivers over on suspicion of drunk driving, they often watch for certain signs or driving patterns. Police officers need reasonable suspicion to make a police stop. This means that they need to stop specific driving patterns if they pull you over specifically for suspicion of drunk driving. Our Orange County DUI defense lawyers explain the common driving patterns that police officers look for when stopping a vehicle for suspicion of DUI.
Common Signs of Intoxicated Driving
Police officers don’t have the right to stop just any vehicle on the road. They need to have a valid reason to pull you over; however, it can get difficult for police officers to indicate when a driver is showing intoxication behaviors while driving. For such reasons, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) put together common panthers that indicate a driver might be drunk.
Below are some of the “cues” the NHTSA put together to help police officers identify intoxicated driving:
- Weaving or serving
- Crossing lane lines
- “Straddling” a lane line
- Turing too wide
- Drifting
- Driving too slow
- Driving on a wrong way street
- No headlines at night
- Illegal or improper turns
- Driving off the road
- Nearly hitting a vehicle or an object
- Difficulty stopping in a jerking manner
- Accelerating or decelerating for no reason
- Stopping in the lane for no apparent reason
- Unusual behavior in the car (such as throwing things)
Experienced Orange County DUI Defense Lawyers
If you face DUI charges, but you believe that the police officer didn’t have reasonable suspicion to stop you, it can help you get your charges reduced or even dismissed. Our team at Law Offices of Virginia L. Landry, Inc. can provide you with the guidance and representation that you need in the face of your DUI charges. We offer skilled legal counsel both in criminal court and at our client’s administrative DMV hearings.
Contact our Orange County DUI defense attorneys today at 949-694-8804 to schedule a consultation!