A Guide To Dealing With A Drinking And Driving Penalty

Any time you need to be certain that you are protecting yourself in the event of a drinking and driving charge, it is important that you do your best to react accordingly. By following proper protocol from the beginning of the driving under the influence (DUI) traffic stop to your day in court, you will be in a good position to receive the ideal end result. Follow these tips so that you are able to rectify the situation. 

#1: Be Polite And Comply With Officers

During a driving under the influence traffic stop, it is important that you remain polite, but compliant with the officers. In many situations, the case will only get worse if you are antagonistic or uncooperative. Get in touch with an attorney as quickly as you can, but make sure that you follow the officer's directions, while remaining as polite as possible. It is also important that you limit what you say, as any sort of admission can be used against you in court. In some states, there is implied consent, which means that you can be penalized for refusing to take a breathalyzer test when asked. Know the drive under the influence laws in your state so that you know how this affects you.

#2: Understand the Penalty of a Driving Under the Influence Charge

 You need to act with haste when charged, because driving under the influence carries a lot of penalties. For example, you will pay fines for being convicted and may be subject to jail time, which increases with each offense. You also will have the possibility of losing your license. This can drastically affect you by decreasing employment opportunities and can also create expenses such as getting your vehicle out of impounding. People who get convicted of DUI's often find that their insurance rates go up by as much as $40,000 over the course of 13 years.

#3: Make Sure To Get Help If Necessary

Most importantly, you need to take a hard look at how you plan to move forward after a DUI case. Think about the events that led up to the traffic stop and how you can avoid it next time. If the root of the issue is that you have a drinking problem, you will need to look into getting the professional help that you need to move past this issue. 

Think of these tips so that you can move forward from a drinking and driving penalty.  For more information, contact companies like Lowry Law Firm.

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