Rochester DUI Attorney Suggestions on How to Behave when Apprehended for DUI or DWI

We made this article not to be a source of legal information or advice people on how to avoid getting caught and get out of a DUI violation. Everyone in their right mind knows that you should not drive after drinking alcoholic drinks. Avoid it at all cost, even if you spend a lot of money on a taxi cab going home after a night out.

If you are in a group, you should designate a driver to make sure everyone will get back safely. Another alternative is to look for other forms of transportation like public transportation or use a cab hailing application like Uber, Grab or Lyft after consuming alcohol at restaurants, clubs, parties or concerts.

A lot of people that are arrested for drunk driving should ask the help of a lawyer (like DWI lawyers in Rochester, NY) that specializes in handling DUI or DWI cases regarding the actions they need to take to provide an immediate remedy on the situation.

According to NHTSA or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of people who operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or illegal substance is staggering, even though it is steadily declining in the past years.

Deaths due to drunk driving or driving under the influence of illegal substances have fallen significantly in the past 30 years. But in the United States, an estimated 28 people die because of alcohol-related accidents every year. Motor vehicle accidents due to alcohol and illegal substances claim over 10,000 lives every year.

Driving while intoxicated costs the government at least $50 billion every year, according to MADD or Mothers Against Drunk Driving who provides all the additional statistics that are collected from the government sources. To know more about MADD, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_Against_Drunk_Driving.

In 2015 alone, there are at least half a million males that are arrested for drunk driving charges or three times as many as there were females who are arrested for the same offense (167,327). According to statistics, 80% of the people who are pulled over for drunk driving as well as driving under the influence of illegal drugs are still driving while intoxicated after they are charged with DUI or DWI.

In the United States, injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents that involve drunk drivers occur every two minutes.  The figures do not appear to be a bit surprising when groups and organizations like SAMHSA or Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are constantly reporting that at least 100 million Americans as young as 12 years old uses alcohol at least once a year and more or less 10 million more are diagnosed with alcohol use disorder or alcoholism.

The numbers show that people who regularly use alcohol are still driving motor vehicles, even if they can’t or should not drive. That’s the sad reality in this country. Despite the government’s effort to disseminate information about drunk driving and stricter rules, the numbers of arrested individuals, as well as the fatalities, are still rising every year.

For more information about SAMHSA or if you want to connect with them, visit this site.

What to do if you are apprehended?

We are reminding everyone that if you are going to drink alcohol, in any circumstances, you should avoid driving at all cost. Unfortunately, a lot of people are still not going to listen to this advice. There are some ground rules people should follow if the authorities stopped them for suspected drunk driving or driving under the influence of illegal drugs.

You need to pull over

Find a safe spot to pull over. Police officers are starting to make observations when they suspect someone of drunk driving. Anything you do after the apprehension will go into the police report. You need to be safe and pull over in a safe place with good lighting. After pulling over, turn off the engine of your car.

Be calm

Don’t make any sudden movement and be very calm. Police officers are observing any action that the apprehended person is doing. Do not make any suspicious movement like hiding a bottle of alcohol or a can of beer, most especially illegal drugs. The best thing to do is to keep your hands on the steering wheel where the apprehending officer can see them.

Be very polite

Be polite and cooperative with the police officer. Arguing with them will not help your situation. If someone is hostile, rude or combative, police officers are trained to arrest them even if that person’s alcohol blood level is below the legal limit. On the other hand, do not talk too much or compliment the law enforcer. It will just arouse more suspicion that you are on to something.