There are thousands of vehicles in and around Harrisonburg, Virginia, at any one time. The majority of drivers at the wheel of these vehicles will adhere to the speed limits and other laws. Nonetheless, there will be a minority who don’t. There may even be some who are impaired.
Law enforcement can’t simply pull everyone over and run tests to check on the sobriety levels of each driver. They are also not permitted to pull people over at random. Before conducting a traffic stop, police officers must spot something out of the ordinary. In other words, they should have a reasonable suspicion that an offense has occurred.
You’re exceeding the speed limit
Behind many fatal crashes are excessive speeds. Thus, law enforcement take every possible step to prevent speeding and address it when it does occur. Speeding will almost certainly amount to a traffic stop, particularly if the vehicle is well over the limit. It’s likely that breathalyzer tests and field sobriety checks will also be conducted to see whether or not the driver is impaired.
You’re making erratic maneuvers
For the most part, vehicles should be traveling smoothly. For instance, they shouldn’t be cutting in and out of lanes or constantly crossing over the centerline. Such behaviors are likely to arouse the suspicion of law enforcement, making a traffic stop inevitable.
Nobody is perfect and drivers can make the occasional error, such as wrong turns, missing a traffic sign or running a red light by mistake. Errors aren’t necessarily criminal and they certainly don’t mean that the driver was impaired. If you are facing DUI charges, it’s crucial to seek legal guidance to start building your defense.