Have you ever been pulled over for no apparent reason? Have you ever seen those familiar flashing lights in your mirror, but have no idea what you did? Have you been forced to take a sobriety test when you were not under the influence?
Although police need probable cause to make a traffic stop, it seems that the need to hammer down on drunk driving has begun to supersede your Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. However, just because police are determined to catch drunk drivers, does not mean they have the legal right to pull you over when you’ve done nothing to indicate that you are too drunk to drive.
Reasons for a Cop to Pull You Over for DUI Suspicion
Unless an officer sees you stumbling out of a bar and driving off in your car, he must base his suspicion of drunk driving on your control of the car. Some common lazy or distracted driving habits may look to a cop like drunk driving and may lead him to pull you over. These causes can include the following:
- Wide turns. The officer witnessed you turning with an unusually large amount of space between your wheels and the curb.
- Weaving. The officer witnessed you driving erratically or constantly swerving in and out of lanes.
- Sloppy driving. The officer witnessed you breaking traffic laws, following too closely, or making abrupt stops.
- Inconsistent speed. The officer witnessed you continuously speeding up and slowing down for no reason.
- Collisions. The officer witnessed you hit, scrape, or damage property.
Although there are a lot of reasons the police could pull you over, they must always have a reason. If for some reason they do not, or can’t produce a viable explanation for the stop, they may have violated your Fourth Amendment rights.
If you think your rights have been violated, contact us today at 703-865-6610 to set up an appointment. Remember, even if you fail a sobriety test, if the test was given illegally, you may have an out. Allow us to help you get it. Call now!
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