Each year in New Hampshire, drivers are pulled over because an officer believes the driver just broke a traffic rule or has another vehicle violation, like an expired license plate or a broken tail light. Even though the officer did not pull the driver over on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI), the driver still finds himself on the receiving end of DUI charges. How does this happen?
In order to arrest a driver on suspicion of drunk driving in New Hampshire, a police officer must have what is known as “probable cause.†Probable cause is more than a mere hunch that the driver has been drinking; it must be based on some observable evidence. This evidence can be gathered at any time during the traffic stop.
Even though an officer may pull a driver over for a violation like running a stop sign or having broken headlights, the officer is always looking for signs of other possible criminal behavior. This means that an officer may also be looking for signs of intoxication. Detecting drunk drivers in NH involves various tell-tale symptoms, including slurred speech, the smell of alcohol, or difficulty doing multiple things at once, like finding a driver’s license in your wallet while also telling the officer your name. An officer who sees any of the signs that can indicate drunk driving may order the driver to perform one or more field sobriety tests or take a breath test, even if the original reason the officer pulled the driver over had nothing to do with possible impaired driving.
Whether or not an officer has probable cause to arrest a driver for DUI depends on the facts of each case. The experienced New Hampshire DWI defense attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. carefully examine each client’s case and fight hard to secure the best possible outcome in court. If you’re facing drunk driving charges in New Hampshire, call Tenn And Tenn, P.A. today at 1-603-624-3700 for a free and confidential consultation.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) works with state governments nationwide, including New Hampshire, to track drunk driving arrests. The data gathered paints a picture of when, where, and how New Hampshire drivers are more likely to be arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).
For instance, data gathered from 2000-2008 showed that the most drunk driving arrests occur in June, July, and August in New Hampshire. Police departments often decide to set up sobriety checkpoints more often during these months. Fridays and Saturdays are the most common days of the week for DUI-related arrests. Most of the New Hampshire drivers arrested on suspicion of DWI are also arrested between 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m., regardless of the day of the week or the month. In contrast, less than 20 percent of all DUI arrests occur between 4:00 a.m. and noon each day.
The NHTSA and the state of New Hampshire use this information to decide when, where, and how to distribute police officers and other resources to ensure that drunk driving arrests take dangerous drivers off the roads as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, increasing patrols to crack down on drunk driving can mean that important details, like observing drivers’ legal rights or ensuring a driver has actually violated New Hampshire law, get pushed aside.
If you’ve been arrested or charged with a DWI in New Hampshire, an aggressive defense from the experienced New Hampshire DUI attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can protect your rights and fight for the best possible outcome in your case. Call us today at 1-603-624-3700, or on our Free DWI Helpline at 1-888-511-1010, for a free and confidential consultation.
New Hampshire police officers are trained to observe other drivers on the road for signs that motorists are operating while under the influence of alcohol (DUI) or while intoxicated (DWI). One of the main indications that police officers look for is a driver’s inability to use “divided attention” skills.
The phrase “divided attention” simply describes the ability to do more than one task at a time. Drivers have to be able to pay attention to many things at once, such as the speed of the vehicle, the distance between their car and the one in front of them, the presence of any hazards such as barriers or pedestrians, and the directions given by street signs and traffic signals.
Alcohol consumption can make dividing attention more difficult. Intoxicated drivers will often focus on only one thing on the road and ignore all the others, no matter how important they are. For instance, an intoxicated driver may focus on the taillights of the car ahead and forget to notice or respond to a changing traffic light.
Police look for divided attention problems on the theory that intoxicated drivers are bad at dividing their attention. A driver who has difficulty multi-tasking is at greater risk for being arrested for DUI or DWI than a driver who can do divided attention tasks perfectly, even though many other causes – including fatigue, distraction by passengers or stress, and certain medical conditions – can also result in divided attention mistakes.
If you’re facing drunk driving charges in New Hampshire, call the highly skilled New Hampshire drunk driving attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. We will conduct a thorough investigation into your arrest and build a strong defensive case on your behalf in order to obtain the best possible outcome. Call today for a free consultation with one of our NH DWI lawyers at 1-888-511-1010.
In order to reduce drunk driving in New Hampshire, police officers are trained to look for certain clues that may tell them if a motorist is driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI). The process police use to decide whether or not to arrest a driver can be broken down into three parts:
- Observing the Driver. When on the road, police often watch the behavior of other drivers for signs that indicate the driver may be impaired by alcohol or drugs. These may include taking certain risks, such as turning or merging too quickly into traffic, or slowed reactions to things like brake lights or stop signs.
- Initial Contact. When a police officer first speaks to a driver suspected of driving drunk, the officer is looking to see whether the motorist has slurred speech, poor coordination, the smell of alcohol, or open alcohol containers in the vehicle. Officers use these signs to decide whether or not to require the driver to take one or more field sobriety tests.
- Field Sobriety Testing. From the moment an officer asks a driver to get out of a vehicle, the officer is watching for signs of drunkenness. Stumbling, looking disoriented, and having difficulty understanding or responding to commands may convince an officer to arrest a driver for DWI. The officer may also administer one or more field sobriety tests, which are deliberately challenging, even for those who are completely sober.
From the start of an encounter, police looking for drunk drivers are focusing on those signs that make a case for a DWI arrest. This makes them likely to miss or ignore innocent explanations for the same behavior. If you have been charged with drunk driving, the aggressive New Hampshire DWI lawyers at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. will carefully examine your case and work diligently to fight your DWI charge. For a free consultation, call Tenn And Tenn, P.A. at 1-888-511-1010 today.
A New Hampshire judge denied bail and decided to keep a 55-year-old Eaton Center resident in jail after the man was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving recently. The judge relied on the man’s multiple prior drunk driving convictions to make his decision, saying that he believed the man was a danger to the public, according to a recent article in The Sun-Chronicle.
The man was pulled over on Interstate 95 in Attleboro, NH, after another driver called police, reporting that the man’s driving was unsteady. The arresting officer who pulled the man over stated that the man appeared to be intoxicated and that the man had gotten angry when he was arrested. According to the man’s attorney, however, he was upset over the New Hampshire DUI arrest, not because he was intoxicated.
The man’s six DUI convictions date back as far as 1976, with most of them occurring before 1986. His attorney pointed out that there were reasonable alternatives to jail that would allow the man to continue working and taking care of his household. Nevertheless, the judge agreed with the prosecutor’s office that the man represented a threat to public safety and ordered him to remain in jail.
A drunk driving conviction carries severe penalties in New Hampshire, but even an arrest can seriously disrupt the normal course of your life. If you’re facing charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI), an experienced New Hampshire drunk driving attorney like those at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can build an aggressive defense on your behalf and fight for the best possible outcome in your case. To learn more, call Tenn And Tenn, P.A. today at 1-888-511-1010 for a free and confidential telephone case evaluation.
In order to reduce drunk driving in New Hampshire, police officers are trained to look for certain clues that may tell them if a motorist is driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI). The process police use to decide whether or not to arrest a driver can be broken down into three parts:
1. Observing the Driver. When on the road, police often watch the behavior of other drivers for signs that indicate the driver may be impaired by alcohol or drugs. These may include taking certain risks, such as turning or merging too quickly into traffic, or slowed reactions to things like brake lights or stop signs.
2. Initial Contact. When a police officer first speaks to a driver suspected of driving drunk, the officer is looking to see whether the motorist has slurred speech, poor coordination, the smell of alcohol, or open alcohol containers in the vehicle. Officers use these signs to decide whether or not to require the driver to take one or more field sobriety tests.
3. Field Sobriety Testing. From the moment an officer asks a driver to get out of a vehicle, the officer is watching for signs of drunkenness. Stumbling, looking disoriented, and having difficulty understanding or responding to commands may convince an officer to arrest a driver for DWI. The officer may also administer one or more field sobriety tests, which are deliberately challenging, even for those who are completely sober.
From the start of an encounter, police looking for drunk drivers are focusing on those signs that make a case for a DWI arrest. This makes them likely to miss or ignore innocent explanations for the same behavior. If you have been charged with drunk driving, the experienced New Hampshire DWI lawyers at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. will carefully examine your case and work diligently to obtain the best possible outcome. For a free consultation, call Tenn And Tenn, P.A. at 1-888-511-1010 today.
