Bethesda DUI Stop Process
When a person sees a siren in their rearview mirror, they should pull over to the side of the road immediately in deference to the police officer stopping them for whatever basis the officer might have.
If they do not feel comfortable in the area that they are in because it is not well lit or for whatever reason, they should simply turn their hazards on to let the officer know that they see them and pull off at the next safe or available location.
As a Bethesda DUI attorney will tell you, it is important to pull over immediately because an officer has a right to stop an individual. If an officer has a reasonable basis for stopping an individual, turns on their lights to stop an individual and the person does not stop, the person may be guilty of other criminal activity, such as attempting to elude a police officer.
Finding a Safe Location
When a person is stopped by a police officer, it does not matter what time of day it is, they should pull over where they believe it is safe to pull over. They should have their hazards on when they pull over if they do not feel safe in the particular area, so the officer knows that the driver sees the officer, but is waiting to pull over at the appropriate next safe location.
They should roll their window down after they have stopped the vehicle and present the officer with the information that is requested.
If the officer wants them to turn their vehicle off, their lights off, or things of that nature, the officer will give that instruction, but it is not required that an individual take any additional steps when an officer pulls them over during a Bethesda DUI traffic stop.
Pulled Over by an Unmarked Vehicle
If an individual is pulled over for a Bethesda DUI stop by an unmarked police vehicle and the officer is in plain clothes, an individual can have the officer present identification of who they are.
They can put themselves in a situation where perhaps they put their hazards on and get to a well-lit area, such as a shopping center or a gas station, where there are other people around to make them more comfortable pulling over and interacting with the police officer in a more public space.
This is so that they do not feel like they are secluded and do not feel like they do not know who it is that they are interacting with.
In some cases, people have called the police department from their vehicle and said, “I am being followed by somebody. There are lights and sirens on. I just want to put it on the record that I am not trying to avoid them. I am just trying to get myself to a well-lit place, so I can feel safe and comfortable with my interaction with the police officer.” This is something appropriate that an individual can do if they feel uncomfortable during a Bethesda DUI traffic stop.
After Pulling Over
When a person is stopped by a police officer, they should roll down their window and have their driver’s license and registration in hand ready for the officer. Usually, the officer will approach the window and give further instructions.
Other than rolling the window down and having their license and registration ready, there would not be any other blanket instruction that one would need to do across the board. It would depend on the circumstances of the traffic stop.