The Governors Highway Safety Association has announced that across the nation, state police forces are increasing checkpoints and patrols from August 20 through September 6, 2010 in an effort to curtail drunk driving over the Labor Day holiday weekend “ and New Hampshire is no exception.
Sobriety checkpoints are designed to allow police officers to examine drivers for various signs of intoxication. In New Hampshire, officers are trained to look for 24 separate clues. Some, such as weaving, swerving, narrowly missing collisions, and slow braking or slow responses to traffic signals, are clues officers try to detect while the car is in motion.
Police officers also examine drivers for other indications that they have been drinking. These clues include inappropriate or unusual behavior, having difficulty responding to an officer’s directions or commands, or the classic signs of intoxication, such as slurred speech or smelling of alcohol.
At a New Hampshire drunk driving sobriety checkpoint, you will be asked to show your driver’s license and vehicle registration. The officer may also ask where you are going, where you are coming from, whether you have been drinking, and if you have any alcohol or illegal substances in the car. While asking these questions, the officer will be examining you carefully for signs of intoxication. If the officer suspects you are intoxicated, he or she may require you to perform field sobriety tests or take a chemical test, such as a breath or blood test.
Although these measures are intended to keep motorists safe during the holiday weekend, overzealous policing can and does result in arrests of sober drivers. If you or a loved one has been arrested for DWI or DUI, the experienced New Hampshire DUI attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. are here to help. Call us today on our free DUI helpline at (603) 614-5055 for a free and confidential consultation.