When you encounter a DUI checkpoint in Virginia, a rush of emotions will take over you. You will experience fear, anxiety, and stress. If the police pull you over to the side, you need to remain calm, relaxed, and compliant.
If you have not been drinking and the cops pull you over, your high stress levels will mimic someone who has been drinking. If you have been driving under the influence, the police will arrest and charge you. You will need to contact a DUI attorney to help you avoid a conviction or argue a lesser charge on your behalf in court.
Regardless of what happens at the DUI checkpoint, you need to keep yourself in check. Here is how you should behave at a DUI checkpoint in Virginia:
1.Remain Calm and Relaxed
The cops pull you over as you were crossing the DUI checkpoint. Whether you have been drinking or not, the key is not to panic. Talk politely and coherently to the cops. Provide them your driver’s license and registration when asked, ensuring they are easily accessible. In the event the cops ask you to come outside of your car, do as told. Get out of the car in a calm and confident manner without leaning on it. If you lean on the car, the cops will take it as a sign of impairment. If they arrest you, contact your DWI attorney immediately.
2.Educate Yourself on Your Rights as a Driver
The cops have stopped you at a DUI checkpoint. They will ask you where you have been coming from and where you are going. It is normal for you and your passengers to be nervous while speaking to them. The cops understand the strain you are under while answering their questions and know that you may say something that you do not mean. However, you do not have to answer any questions, especially if they have been drinking and driving, and can use their right to remain silent until they get a DUI lawyer.
3.Take Field Sobriety Tests
If the cops have pulled you over at a DUI checkpoint, it is normal for them to request you to take a field sobriety test. In most states, you can refuse to take a field sobriety test. However, refusing to take a field sobriety test will make the officers believe that you are guilty of having an alcohol level above the legal limit.
If you refuse to take a field sobriety test, the cops may arrest and charge you for driving while intoxicated and you will have to get a DUI lawyer to represent you in court. You may be able to call your DWI attorney to be with you while you take the field sobriety test.
If the cops arrested and charged you for driving while under the influence at a DUI checkpoint in Virginia, you will need to engage the services of a professional and experienced DUI attorney to represent you in court.