Mike Koneigns : Thanks for your information on the Soberity check team. I understand that the holiday season is going to be a crucial time when one is likely to have a drink or two. Tell me what the intial steps would be by the Soberity team since DUI convictions would definetly lead to SR22 car insurance.

Response :Yes, it is beyond doubt that once you are convicted of DUI, you will need to get a SR22 car insurance, which are normally high. I understand what you are saying. Standardized field sobriety tests (SFST) are commonly used by officers of the law to determine driver sobriety. At best these tests are controversial, and are subject to intense debate in courts. I am going to give you the steps taken by the officers before the sobetrity test check and also give your tips on what you should do. Driving under the influence is against the law. The best advice is to pull over, get a coffee or sleep a while until you are better able to drive. Please call a taxi or drive off with a friend, who is sober.

Now, in case you do choose to drink and drive and are pulled over, understanding the tests you will be given and how police officers are trained to give the tests, may help you and your attorney wriggle out of the conviction on a legal technicality.

The decision to arrest will only come after they actually do the soberity test, however here are the steps that will be taken by the officer before the soberity test :
First they will initial observe the motion of the vehicle. The officer watches you drive. If you don’t mess this up, you won’t get pulled over. Now, if he does turn on his lights, signal, pull over and stop your car. Turn off the ignition and place your hand where he/she can see them on the top of the steering wheel. The longer you wait to stop or if you stop in an inappropriate place, the greater the chance of getting arrested.
Secondly they will observe you – the driver . The officer is trained to:
1) Listen to your speech
2) Smell your breath
3)Observe the color of your face
4) Judge your dexterity, clothing, and appearance.
For saving your self from being arrested for a DUI conviction you will have to keep in mind the following :
a)Keep your insurance and all other important documents in a place where you keep nothing else.
b) Never look at the officer so he can’t see your eyes.
c) Keep you head down and breathe away from the cop.
d) Even better, keep Listerine pocket pack strips with you. Since they dissolve you won’t be chomping on candy when he walks up.
If you mess up the previous two or if you are drunk and the Officer wants you off the road for public safety regardless of your behavior above, he will ask you to get out of the car.
a) Step out of the car.
b) Consider laying the groundwork for your legal defense by requesting to lean against the car since you hurt your left ankle, or knee, or some sort of lower extremity and you can’t put any weight on your left leg. (It has to be your left since you drive with your right!)
c) The officer might ask you to do a field test.

Remember that at any time precaution is better than cure. Once you are held for DUI you might loose your license, you will need SR22 car insurance and your auto insurance rate will sky rocket. Be careful.

Mike Koneigs : I needed SR22 car insurance until last yearsince I had a DUI conviction. I dread the holiday season since I cannot stop myself. What are Sobriety Checkpoints? How many soberity points are there in a city?

Response : With the approach of the holiday season the chances of having good time and getting involved in DUI convictions increase. It also increases the risk for auto accidents and claims and hence the vigilance increases. I am sure that no one wants to be involved in an accident, be called a high risk driver, pay SR22 car insurance and so you would be taking precautions at your end.

The law enforcement authority has sobriety checkpoints which are a tool for preventing drunk driving and auto accidents. This team of law enforcement officers would stop vehicles or a specific sequence of motorist, at a predetermined location so that Sobriety Checkpoints. The main goal of this exercise is to increase the public alertness and awareness of being arrested for driving while impaired DWI or drunk driving, and detecting drivers who are impaired and arrest them. These operations as they are named as sobriety checkpoints are conducted by 4-6 officers. They would be mobile and will not continue the check at the same strategic point but change their location. Normally people would inform one another about the sobriety post and so this team is always mobile. Since soberity points are mobile one can never know how many points there are in a city.

This operation is designed to be set up in 15 minutes, taken down, and moved to another location. By completing this, motorists under the influence may see the sobriety checkpoint at one location and avoid this area in fear of being arrested. If the motorists later travel another road, they may encounter another checkpoint and later on another checkpoint on another roadway. Statistics from the Tennessee Checkpoint Operation have proven this a more effective way of discouraging motorists under the influence of drugs and alcohol to drive.

Soberity check points are useful for the SR22 car insurance since check points prevent you from driving while drunk and thus saves you from auto accidents and high car insurance rates. The non-drinkers are also helped since this will prevent them from high auto insurance by preventing auto insurance accidents since the chances of them being in an auto accident with a DWI driver are also high.
Stay safe and avoid drunk driving.
Happy Thanks giving.