Three Basic Rules of Thumb for Alcohol Traffic Stops

Most attorneys advise that drunk driving suspects adhere to some general rules for their own safety and to improve their standing should they come before the court. The general rules are as follows:

(1) The motorist should attempt to remain polite to the police officer or officers, no matter how difficult this may seem.

(2) The motorist should not submit to field sobriety testing including a hand held alcohol sensor (unless required by statute) and should rather request a breath test at the police station or a blood test at the local hospital. If the motorist must take a breath test, they should immediately, upon release, go to a hospital for a blood alcohol test.

(3) The motorist should never discuss any amount of alcohol that they have consumed.