No one in Houston likes to be pulled over by the police. In the event that a driver may have consumed a few alcoholic beverages and the hour is late, there may be good reason for such fears.
Even if an individual’s blood alcohol limit is below the legal limit of 0.08, he or she may be nervous about appearing intoxicated during the initial questioning. Upon learning that a driver has consumed a few drinks, even if over a span of several hours, a questioning officer might require a driver to step out of the car and perform a field sobriety test.
Despite such nervous thoughts, a driver whose BAC is indeed within legal parameters should be able to pass a field sobriety test. A breath test could further prove that an officer lacks probable cause to make a DWI arrest.
Throughout the process, however, drivers are advised to stay calm, listen fully to the questions asked of them, and respond truthfully. Questions about due process or probable cause might best be left to the work of a Houston DWI defense attorney in the courtroom.
One response that is definitely not recommended is a car chase, as in today’s posting. Houston police believe that a driver may have been drunk driving, as evidenced by his swerving at a quarter past 1 a.m. on a recent Thursday morning.
Instead of pulling over, the driver attempted to outrun police. The chase lasted about 10 minutes until police blockaded the driver. Upon inspection, police discovered a case of beer inside the vehicle. It’s unclear whether they also discovered an open container.
Source: click2houston.com, “Police chase caught on camera in southeast Houston,” June 27, 2013
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