Two Pieces Of Bad DUI Advice You Shouldn't Follow

30 July 2016
 Categories: Law, Blog

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Most people know they shouldn't drive while intoxicated. However, an even worse idea than getting on the road while impaired from drugs or alcohol is following bad advice that may not help you if you get pulled over and may even land you in worse trouble. Here are two pieces of terrible DUI advice you shouldn't follow.

Use Breath Spray or Mouth Wash to Cover the Smell

One common piece of bad advice given to people is to use breath spray or mouthwash to cover the smell of alcohol. The thinking behind this suggestion is the officer is less likely to suspect you of being intoxicated if you don't smell like alcohol. However, there are numerous problems with this advice.

First, it's true that alcohol can be smelled on the breath. What many people don't know is alcohol is also secreted through your pores and sweat glands. So even if you managed to cover up the beer smell on your breath, the officer will likely still be able to tell you had been drinking due to your body odor and other signs you may be exhibiting (e.g. red eyes, slurred speech).

Second, using a breath spray or mouthwash can make things worse because many of these products contain ethanol, which is a type of alcohol. Using these items shortly before taking a breathalyzer test can make your blood alcohol content reading seem higher than it really is and result in steeper charges.

Don't Roll Down Your Window During Stops

Another piece of potentially harmful advice involves recommending people to keep their windows rolled up and not interact with the police during stops. Apparently, you're supposed to put a sign on your car window stating your basic rights, telling the officer to put the traffic ticket under the windshield wiper, and hold up your driver's license so the cop can see it. The reasoning behind this advice is the less physical interaction you have with the officer, the less likely the person will come across evidence that you had been drinking.

There are several problems with this "strategy". First, you are generally required to present your photo ID and car registration to the cop for physical inspection, meaning you must hand these documents to the officer so he or she can look at them. So, you have to roll your window down at some point.

Another problem is this may not actually protect you from being arrested for DUI. If the cop suspects you are driving intoxicated, he or she can ask you to undergo a breathalyzer test, and state law requires you comply or face going to jail and having your license taken away.

There's quite a bit of bad advice related to DUIs floating around. If you don't want to unintentionally land yourself in more trouble, only take the advice of someone who knows the law such as a DUI attorney, like Hart Law Offices, PC. For more information about this issue, contact a lawyer.