30 August 2018
 Categories: Law, Blog

When you're stopped for driving erratically and the office who detains you charges you with driving under the influence of alcohol following some testing, one question that you'll face is what will happen to your vehicle. The police have the option of impounding it or allowing you to release it to a friend or family member. If the police impound the vehicle, you'll have to pay a fee to get it back, and beyond being an expense, this is also a hassle. It's much better if you can get someone you trust to take it home for you. Here are some steps to take to make this outcome more likely.

Pull Over In A Good Location

As soon as a police officer gets behind you and signals you to stop, you need to think about where to stop your vehicle. If you've been drinking and expect a DUI arrest, you don't want to leave your vehicle in the middle of the road. The police will be more apt to impound a vehicle left in such a location, as it will be disrupting traffic. However, if you can pull into a parking lot or onto a side road and park safely, the vehicle won't be in the way and the police may agree to let you have a friend collect it. Remember, this doesn't mean that you should drive until you find the perfect stopping point — you should stop seconds after the officer signals you to do so.

Be Respectful Throughout

Impounding your vehicle is at the arresting officer's discretion, and police officers are humans. If you're combative and uncooperative throughout the process, the odds of the officer accepting your request to have a friend come and pick up the vehicle are very small. However, if you honestly answer the officer's questions and do not attempt to mislead him or her in any way, there's a higher probability of you being able to call someone to get your vehicle.

Know Who To Call

There are a couple of scenarios that you'll face if you're allowed to call someone — you can either call someone who has a spare key to the vehicle or call someone and give him or her the key. Get some direction from the officer. For example, if you have a friend who lives less than five minutes away and the officer agrees to wait for the friend to get your key, this plan will work. However, if the officer wants to take you for booking right away, you'll need to call someone who has a key and can pick up the vehicle even without you there.

If you need help with your DUI, contact a law firm such as Law Office Of  Lori Crystal, LLC.