Drivers have to ensure they’re always following the laws. Failure to do this can result in being pulled over by a police officer. One thing that some individuals might not realize is that you don’t have to actually break a law to be pulled over. Officers can initiate a traffic stop if they have reasonable suspicion that you’re committing a crime.
One of the possible crimes that’s commonly thought of when considering reasonable suspicion is drunk driving. Cops are almost always vigilantly watching for signs of impairment in drivers. If they spot signs that a driver might be impaired, they can pull the vehicle over.
There are several things that signal something is amiss with a driver. These include:
- Stopping suddenly for no reason
- Swerving in and out of lanes
- Failing to obey traffic signals and signs
- Driving too fast or too slow for conditions
- Nearly hitting objects on the side of the road
- Not turning on the headlights when required
When an officer sees any of these, they will conduct the traffic stop to determine what’s going on with a driver. This will usually include talking to the driver. If there is a reason to think that the driver is impaired, the officer might ask for a chemical test or a standardized field sobriety test.
If the officer’s stop based on reasonable suspicion uncovers evidence that the driver is impaired, an arrest will occur based on probable cause. At this point, the person who’s arrested will need to begin building a defense strategy against the charges. They also need to think about how they can address the administrative penalties associated with the case.
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