7 Rules of the Road – Guidelines to follow when pulled over for DUI
The holiday season is upon us and should you have too much fun with the mulled wine, spiced cider and other holiday goodies, it is important to know the 7 Rules of the Road.
No one plans on getting pulled over for driving under the influence and it definitely comes as a surprise when you feel that you have been driving normally. There will be an emphasis on DUI patrol over the holiday season and they will be on the look out for the slightest indication that you may be driving under the influence.
If you find yourself being pulled over, below are 7 Rules of the Road – guidelines to follow when stopped by the police:
- Do give the officer your papers – drivers license, registration, and proof of insurance.
- Do submit to a breath or blood test, but only back at the station or the hospital.
- Do ask for a lawyer.
- Don’t say anything. Be polite but decline comments.
- Don’t perform any field sobriety tests – including the handheld portable breath tester.
- Don’t consent to any searches.
- After your release, return to the hospital for an independent and confidential blood or breath test of your blood alcohol level.
The BAC Estimator
Have ever wondered what your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) might be after having those couple of drinks?
The Blood Alcohol Estimator below will give you an idea of what your BAC was in a given circumstance. You’ll need to know your weight and how much you drank in fluid ounces (this estimator does not take into account the number of hours drinks were consumed or the percentage of alcohol in your drink:
Ultimately, if you’ve had something to drink, err on the side of caution.
| Drinks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 lbs | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.14 | 0.18 | 0.23 | 0.27 | 0.32 | 0.36 |
| 120 lbs | 0.04 | 0.08 | 0.11 | 0.15 | 0.19 | 0.23 | 0.27 | 0.30 |
| 140 lbs | 0.03 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.16 | 0.19 | 0.23 | 0.26 |
| 160 lbs | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.09 | 0.11 | 0.14 | 0.17 | 0.20 | 0.23 |
| 180 lbs | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.18 | 0.20 |
| 200 lbs | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.11 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.18 |
| 220 lbs | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.17 |
| 240 lbs | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.15 |
What to do after you have been pulled over for DUI
If the officer finds that you are DUI and cites you, it is important that you speak with an experienced and respected DUI attorney. There are many facts to know about a DUI charge and there are probably a lot of questions that you will have. Please feel free to call my office at (206) 382-9200 to set up a free one-hour consultation for a case analysis and help in moving forward from this point.