Arkansas DUI checkpoints and roadblocks

 

DUI is a big concern in the United States since it is a serious risk to public safety. Numerous lives have been taken as a result of driving while under influence and the state of Arkansas takes many actions to reduce and prevent drunk driving. One of the popular ways of doing so in states like Arkansas is by setting up Sobriety checkpoints.

 

The state of Arkansas is one of the thirty-eight states in the country that sets up sobriety checkpoints frequently as a law enforcement technique. As a result, officials evaluate drivers on certain public roads and locations for signs of alcohol or drug impairment. The location is normally determined based on the incidence of drunk driving in the area and may as well be based on the number of bars in the area. As vehicles pass through the checkpoint they may be stopped in a specific sequence that is based on a random neutral formula. These checkpoints are established late at night or early morning and on weekends when the likelihood of drunk drivers might be high.

 

While the objective of these security setups is to deter drunk drivers, they are also meant to arrest those who are visibly impaired and charge them with drunk driving. Normally, for the least disruption of the regular flow traffic, police officers will only ask the driver to stop in order to answer a couple of questions and they will shine a light on the face of the driver. If there is a suspicion, the driver might be asked to take a breath test or a sobriety test to demonstrate mental and physical balance.

 

These DUI security checkpoints are set up almost weekly in many parts of the state as they are considered legal under the federal constitution and are treated as an effective means of deterring drunk driving which is the major objective. According to popular belief, these DUI security checkpoints are only meant to arrest drivers who are suspected to be driving under the influence. However, DUI checkpoints are meant to be a visible and significant warning sign for potential drunk drivers and to discourage them from committing the crime in the first place. Sometimes, drivers do get arrested because the police officers feel that there are sufficient signs and symptoms of drunkenness but in many areas of Arkansas, drivers are allowed to avoid the DUI checkpoint completely.

 

In addition, there are certain circumstances under which the police officer questioning a driver may arrest him or her apart from their suspicion of the driver’s impairment. These conditions may revolve around the level of cooperation of the driver during the proceedings of the DUI security checkpoint for example, if the driver refuses to answer any of the questions asked by the police officer then he or she may be susceptible to getting arrested. However, if the police officer asks a question that is unrelated to the proceedings of the DUI security checkpoint then the driver does not have to answer them. So in this way, the legality and actual guidelines of carrying out DUI security checkpoints and roadblocks present a controversy in many states especially where DUI checkpoints are not properly conducted.

 

The US Supreme Court has only legalized those DUI checkpoints that are properly conducted and follow the regulations set by the state authority or the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The major point in this regard is to make such DUI security checkpoints efficient, effective and at the same time safe and less obtrusive for the regular flow of traffic. Nevertheless, all drivers in the state of Arkansas should be aware of their rights when they are stopped at a DUI security checkpoint as well as what they can expect at such a time. This is important for various reasons the major being that if they get arrested at a checkpoint and they believe that their arrest was wrong or that the police did not follow the proper protocol then you can appeal your case. Arkansas has a number of reliable and experienced DUI attorneys who can help you with your charges and even dismiss them if possible.