Blood alcohol concentration is not the only indicator of impairment. Like police everywhere else across the country, officers here in Amherst look at other factors that may indicate whether someone is intoxicated. The actions of individuals during traffic stops could end up making their DUI cases more challenging.

For instance, a women here in New York was recently pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. Reports indicate that an officer observed the woman’s vehicle rolling through a stop sign. When the officer pulled the vehicle over, he suspected the woman was impaired.

The officer claimed that the 28-year-old woman was dancing in the driver’s seat, and the radio was up loud before the officer asked her to exit the vehicle. She agreed to participate in field sobriety tests but then began dancing and singing to the radio in her vehicle, which was still blaring. The officer says she also flashed him and asked him to stop at a drive-thru on the way to the jail. Even if her roadside breath test had not read 0.204, the officer most likely believed he had sufficient probable cause for the arrest due to her behavior.

Individuals suspected of impairment often inadvertently make their DUI cases more challenging with their behaviors during the initial traffic stop. Even so, Amherst residents still retain the right to defend themselves against the charges. One of the most important rights an individual has is to enlist the aid of an attorney, and it would be wise to take advantage of this right as quickly as possible.