Slow driving can alert police to a potential DUI
When police are looking for drunk drivers, they look for motorists who drive abnormally. Exactly what might constitute “abnormal” can vary greatly from situation to situation. Because alcohol reduces the ability to control motor responses and affects the ability to perceive that reduction, drivers may exhibit a great variation.
Some may drive above the speed limit and change lanes randomly or have difficulty maintaining lane position. Others may attempt to be extra careful and drive slowly. A car driving just below the posted speed limit may suggest a potentially impaired driver.
Of course, factors other than drunk driving could cause this type of driving behavior. Many older drivers may drive cautiously and could be seen by other motorists as driving too slowly road conditions. Some medical conditions may cause problems driving, as will some prescription medications.
A driver in Church Hill drew the attention of a Sheriff’s department officer when he was driving too slow and erratically. When he was stopped, the officer smelled alcohol on the man’s breath and could see cans of beer on the front seat.
In a textbook example of how not to be stopped by the police, the driver then managed to perform “poorly” the field sobriety tests. He was arrested and he refused the blood alcohol test (BAC).
He may have refused the BAC because he had two prior DUI arrests, and realized the consequences of a third DUI. He consented to a search of his vehicle, which turned up the presence illegal drugs.
It is never a good idea to consent to any search by law enforcement and this should be done only after consulting with your own attorney, if possible. While the presence of an attorney may not make you sober, they can prevent you from making a difficult situation worse and unnecessarily compromising your defense.
Source: Therogersvillereview.com, “Driving slowly, erratically lands man in jail on DUI, drug charges,” Tommy Campbell, July 25, 2014