DUI stops are implemented all across the country with an intended good purpose behind it. However, it toes a line for many people, and they may want to avoid these stops entirely.
Is it legally possible to avoid these stops, though? If so, how can a person do it?
Avoiding a DUI checkpoint
LifeSafer discusses avoiding a DUI checkpoint, otherwise called traffic stops. Police will set up these stops usually in high-traffic areas, areas with a history of DUI drivers, or places with fast traffic like the highway.
In many states, police must provide drivers with an alternative route. In most, police also need to give them a warning in advance that the DUI checkpoint is up ahead.
Likewise, drivers have the legal right to avoid a DUI checkpoint whether or not police provide them with an alternative route. They can simply find their own.
Making sure to abide by the law
The important part is in how the driver takes that alternative route. Drivers must abide by the rules of the road regardless of whether or not they are trying to avoid a DUI checkpoint. This means they cannot drive over double-painted lines, drive in a reckless or aggressive way, make illegal turns or U-turns, speed, or more.
Officers have the right to pull someone over if they break a law while trying to avoid a DUI stop, and they may decide to test a person for potential intoxication in such a case. This renders any attempt to avoid the checkpoint useless, so drivers should always take care with their avoidance.
