Police officers must keep a watchful eye on what’s going on around them when they’re out on patrol. One of the duties they have is to try to ensure that the roads are safe, which means keeping impaired drivers off them.
Suspected drunk driving stops are the primary tool that police officers have to do this. In order to do this, they have to have reasonable suspicion that the driver is impaired. This means that they see signs that any reasonable person would believe indicate that the driver is too intoxicated to legally drive.
Signs of impairment that might lead to a traffic stop
There are various signs of impairment that police officers look for. Some of these include failing to stop at stop signs or red lights, swerving in between multiple traffic lanes and hitting or nearly hitting roadside objects.
Once the police officer sees signs that a driver isn’t driving safely, they will likely initiate the traffic stop. They will often have a talk with the driver to see if they can determine what’s going on. During this time, the officer will look for signs of impairment, such as the smell of alcohol on the driver’s breath or open alcohol containers in the vehicle.
If the officer believes the driver is impaired, they may ask for a field sobriety test or a chemical test to be done. If these are done, they can provide probable cause for a drunk driving arrest. Anyone who’s arrested for drunk driving should ensure they understand their defense options, which may be a bit easier if they work with someone familiar with these matters.
