Today’s post comes to us from fellow ignition interlock provider, LifeSafer.
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Have you ever hit a curb when making a turn, say, out of a driveway? Most of us have at one time or another. Usually we say, “Whoops!” and drive on.
But seeing a driver glance off a curb on the way out of a Walmart parking lot was enough to put a New Hartford, New York police officer on the alert. He pulled over the driver and smelled alcohol. Busted.
The driver, a woman from Utica, New York was found to have a blood alcohol concentration exceeding .08 per cent, and was charged with DWI. In New York that means a fine of at least $1,000, possible imprisonment, and an ignition interlock installed in her car.
Spotting the car driving into the curb gave the officer probable cause for pulling the car over. It could have been any number of signs, ones that all police keep a lookout for:
- Drifting into the center lane
- Nearly missing a parked car or other vehicle
- Driving too slowly – it’s amazing how many impaired drivers are caught this way!
- Tailgating
- Forgetting headlights at night
- Stopping where you don’t need to, e.g. green lights and intersections that don’t have stop signs
If an officer notices you doing any of the above, he’s justified in pulling you over to investigate your sobriety. Once you’re stopped, the officer will talk to you and evaluate your speech. If he or she thinks there is cause, you will need to perform a field sobriety test or blow into a breathalyzer.
Moral — No matter how well you think you can hide the fact that you are driving intoxicated, you are not in control. One small slip, like hitting a curb as you exit a parking lot, will be enough to alert the police.