Our advice on how to avoid drunk driving charge, part 2
For many Tennessee drivers, any run-ins with the police or criminal justice system are anxiety-ridden experiences. Avoiding such contact and most definitely avoiding an arrest and charge are reasonable, understandable goals. This post continues the discussion of last week’s DUI post about how drivers can try to reduce the likelihood of a DUI arrest.
Drive smart: As the past post warns, police will take any reason to pull you over as a reason to try to pursue a drunk driving investigation. If you roll through a stop sign, don’t signal a turn, speed, or commit any other even minor traffic offense, you open the door for a traffic stop and possible DUI arrest.
Air it out: If you have had only one drink or maybe none at all but you were hanging with friends who were drinking, you might smell of alcohol. Maybe you are the designated driver and have friend or two in the car with you who smell like alcohol. In any of these scenarios, it can be a good idea to air out the car. Open the car window to try to minimize the odor of alcohol. That smell will often motivate an officer to initiate a DUI investigation. If you know you do not smell like booze but the friends in your car do, it can be a wise move — if done so thoughtfully and respectfully — for you to step out of your car and stand by your vehicle during a traffic stop.
Do defense homework: It is not a bad idea to keep a receipt of your drink orders and try to remember the name of your bartender. You could also keep a record of those around you that night who could testify to the fact that you were not too drunk to drive. This might not help you avoid arrest necessarily, but these details could definitely support your case if you are arrested for suspicion of DUI.
We will continue this discussion in the next post. More specifically, we will examine how to try to use implied consent and other Tennessee DUI laws in your favor if pulled over and targeted for a drunk driving arrest.