DUI cases are handled very seriously in Alexandria and are an area of focus for law enforcement officers because of their effect on the public. Whenever someone is injured as a result of a DUI accident, which they had no fault in, there is certainly an outcry for the enforcement of DUI laws. It is a simple measure for local law enforcement to use their resources toward Alexandria DUI enforcement. They are going to prevent accidents and prosecute people who are violating this public safety law and it is viewed positively.
Alexandria is a place that has heavily traveled streets with high pedestrian and cyclist activity, as well as many places where local and visitors alike consume alcohol. There are many local roads that run through Alexandria that often have DUI enforcement. These local roads include King Street, Duke Street, the local interstate 95, Route 1, George Washington Parkway, and other local roads.
Typically, law enforcement officers are going to look for traffic safety laws being violated, including failing to come to a complete stop, and failing to obey traffic signals or speeders. In addition, Alexandria DUI enforcement includes officers looking for vehicles that appear to be driving outside of accepted norms, such as driving significantly slower than the speed limit, cars that are failing to maintain their lane, driving without head lights on, or other things that show that the driver is being inattentive or impaired behind the wheel. Finally, there may be equipment violations—headlights out, expired registration stickers, and other things that bring motor vehicles to the attention of officers.
If a person is stopped for the suspicion of DUI, typically they will be pulled over and an officer will approach the vehicle. The officer may have questions for the person and may ask for their license and registration. The officer may be attempting to gather information about the person the entire time, such as making observations about their appearance, smelling the potential odor of alcohol, and asking questions about where the person is coming from, where they are going, and their consumption of alcohol. Additionally, it is very common that in a DUI case, especially a DUI case that may involve drugs, the officer will ask for consent to search your vehicle.
The Alexandria DUI enforcement officer will ask a variety of different questions. Some of the questions they may ask include:
They may also ask questions to gauge a person’s understanding of their circumstance including: do you understand where you are? What time is it? Where are you going?
At a DUI stop in Alexandria, an officer is relying on their training as well as their observations. They may ask the person to perform a field sobriety test, which may be a combination of physical and mental tests to gauge their potential level of impairment. Typically, when someone is stopped for suspicion of DUI, an officer will offer a field sobriety test, also known as FSTs, and the preliminary breath test, also known as the PBT.
It is important to know that these tests are voluntary and a person cannot be compelled to perform them. If a person refuses these tests, they incur no additional charges and their refusal of the test cannot be used against them. However, if they are arrested for suspicion of DUI, they will then be read the implied present statute, which may trigger their requirement to either take a breath test or have an additional charge.
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