A lot of people use casual breath checks to determine whether they’re good to drive after a night out. They’ll ask friends to smell their breath or do the infamous “breathe into your own hand” check. If they don’t notice a strong odor of alcohol, they might think it’s ok to hop in the car and drive, regardless of how many drinks they have had. Searching “DWI lawyer near me” might not even enter their minds if they get pulled over because they’re confident there’s no alcoholic odor.
On the other hand, there are some people who won’t smell of alcohol even when they are intoxicated. They can appear to be normal, even though they are seriously impaired. Some people may conflate having alcohol on the breath with driving intoxicated. However, despite the fact the two are often linked, they can have very different results if you’re pulled over by the police during a traffic stop. Whatever the case, you want to be prepared for what’s going to happen. No one ever wants their traffic stop to be the first time they think about googling “DWI lawyer near me.”
When Cops Pull You Over and Smell Alcohol on Your Breath
First of all, police need probable cause to pull you over. If you’re perfectly sober but have alcohol on your breath, it’s unlikely you’ll be stopped. However, if you’re driving erratically or there’s something wrong with your car, you’re susceptible to a stop. When police contact drivers and they smell alcohol on their breath, it gives them reason (or probable cause) to investigate for drunk driving. Police need to tell you why they ask you to step out of the car or submit to a breathalyzer test. It’s at this moment you should be thinking, “Is there a DWI lawyer near me?” – especially if you are not impaired.
Driving Drunk – What Can a DWI Lawyer Near Me Do?
Even when sober, submitting to a breathalyzer is never fun. The whole time you’ll be wondering whether that one beer you had with dinner will make you test above the legal limit. If you are driving impaired, things can go from bad to worse. Police will pull people over for suspected drunk driving if they are driving erratically or are involved in a motor vehicle accident. There are also occasional sobriety checkpoints. Armed with probable cause, the police have much more freedom to investigate whether you’re driving drunk.
Don’t get caught thinking about how to find a “DWI lawyer near me” when it’s too late. Understand the difference between smelling like alcohol and driving impaired. Make sure you drive sober and take extra precautions, even if you’ve only had a couple drinks for the evening. The risk isn’t worth it. Stephen Bowling & Associates is one of the premier Texas law firms that deals with DWI charges and defense. Contact us to discuss how we can help you out.
