When a police officer stops an individual for suspicion of Driving While Impaired (DWI) in Charlotte, North Carolina, they generally engage in the following steps:
Before you are pulled over, an officer must be able to observe that an individual is driving in a manner that suggests the driver is impaired, in order to establish reasonable suspicion. A Police officer will observe the driver and compare the witnessed behavior to established DWI factors. These include things like: crossing the centerline, weaving in traffic, almost colliding with other vehicles, etc. Once they've established reasonable suspicion to pull a driver over, they can flash the blue lights and begin the DWI stop process.
Once the individual has been pulled over to the side of the road, the officer will begin to interact with the driver in order to further investigate their suspicions of DWI. They typically will begin this interaction by asking for license and registration. Many officers will additionally ask questions like "have you been drinking" and "how many drinks have you had tonight?" in order to establish potential intoxication. While they're interacting and listening to your responses, they're checking to see if there's an alcohol smell from the vehicle, whether the speech is slurred, and other indications of impairment. If they have reason to believe that the driver is impaired, they may ask for the driver to perform a field sobriety test.
When you are asked to undergo field sobriety tests, you do have the right to refuse. However, if you choose to refuse, the officer will arrest you for suspicion of DWI and you will be subject to immediate revocation of your driver's license. If you do not refuse, you will be asked to submit to a variety of tests involving basic motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and mental engagement. Additionally, after the completion of these tests, the officer will ask you to blow into a portable breath test to determine the presence of alcohol.
Following a field sobriety test, if the officer believes the individual shows signs intoxication or impairment, the police officer will make an arrest for suspicion of DWI. After the arrest, the officer will typically restrain the individual, make arrangements for a tow truck or sober passenger to handle the vehicle, and drive the individual to the police station for processing.
If you have received a DWI charge, call Minick Law today to discuss your case with one of your lawyers, for free. The attorneys at Minick Law are standing by to fight for the best results following your DWI charge.
Before you are pulled over, an officer must be able to observe that an individual is driving in a manner that suggests the driver is impaired, in order to establish reasonable suspicion. A Police officer will observe the driver and compare the witnessed behavior to established DWI factors. These include things like: crossing the centerline, weaving in traffic, almost colliding with other vehicles, etc. Once they've established reasonable suspicion to pull a driver over, they can flash the blue lights and begin the DWI stop process.
Once the individual has been pulled over to the side of the road, the officer will begin to interact with the driver in order to further investigate their suspicions of DWI. They typically will begin this interaction by asking for license and registration. Many officers will additionally ask questions like "have you been drinking" and "how many drinks have you had tonight?" in order to establish potential intoxication. While they're interacting and listening to your responses, they're checking to see if there's an alcohol smell from the vehicle, whether the speech is slurred, and other indications of impairment. If they have reason to believe that the driver is impaired, they may ask for the driver to perform a field sobriety test.
When you are asked to undergo field sobriety tests, you do have the right to refuse. However, if you choose to refuse, the officer will arrest you for suspicion of DWI and you will be subject to immediate revocation of your driver's license. If you do not refuse, you will be asked to submit to a variety of tests involving basic motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and mental engagement. Additionally, after the completion of these tests, the officer will ask you to blow into a portable breath test to determine the presence of alcohol.
Following a field sobriety test, if the officer believes the individual shows signs intoxication or impairment, the police officer will make an arrest for suspicion of DWI. After the arrest, the officer will typically restrain the individual, make arrangements for a tow truck or sober passenger to handle the vehicle, and drive the individual to the police station for processing.
If you have received a DWI charge, call Minick Law today to discuss your case with one of your lawyers, for free. The attorneys at Minick Law are standing by to fight for the best results following your DWI charge.
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