It is illegal to get behind the wheel when someone has had too much to drink, but it is difficult for people to know when they might break the law. The average person underestimates how much alcohol affects them, which is one reason drunk driving crashes are such a consistent safety issue.
Often, those pulled over for a suspected driving under the influence (DUI) offense in Oklahoma thought that they were okay to drive themselves home. Unfortunately for those drivers, a misunderstanding of the law does not necessarily prevent them from facing a criminal charge.
There are multiple scenarios in which someone could end up arrested for a DUI in Oklahoma and the three below are the most common.
After a targeted traffic stop
When someone swerves back and forth over the road, drives well under the speed limit or otherwise shows signs of potential chemical intoxication, a police officer will likely pull them over to screen them for drunk driving. People can also end up performing field sobriety tests and chemical tests after an unrelated traffic stop if they seem impaired during their conversation with a police officer.
After a car crash
It is standard procedure to request a chemical test from those involved in a major motor vehicle collision. Chemical testing can be an important part of the process of establishing who was to blame for the wreck. Sometimes, even the driver who didn’t cause the crash could end up charged with a DUI because they failed the breath test after a fender bender.
After encountering a checkpoint
Sobriety checkpoints are a common law enforcement tool to check for drunk drivers during high-risk times. Weekends and holidays are popular times for police departments to conduct sobriety checkpoints on busy roads. They briefly interact with numerous drivers and will carefully screen those who seem to potentially be under the influence of alcohol.
Those arrested for a DUI could face jail time, large fines and the loss of their driving privileges if they plead guilty or the courts convict them. Learning more about how Oklahoma handles DUI cases may help those hoping to avoid arrest or fight back against pending charges.