Human beings are not perfect creatures -- we make mistakes. In a perfect world, no one would ever drink and drive, but the reality is obviously far different. You might get carried away at the bar with your friends and then make a bad decision to get behind the wheel. You're not the first person to do it and you won't be the last; however, just because you got pulled over after drinking does not necessarily mean the court system is going to throw the book at you. If you can play it smart while interacting with the officer that pulled you over, and then hire a DUI lawyer if needed, you might be able to turn a bad situation around.

Use Your Right to Remain Silent Even Before the Arrest

If you are pulled over and the officer on the scene thinks that you are under the influence, they will start things off by just trying to start a conversation with you. They'll ask where you are coming from or where you are going; they'll also ask if you've had anything to drink. We are not encouraging you to lie to a police officer, but we are encouraging you to remember your constitutional rights. You don't actually have to answer every question if you don't want to. A good DUI lawyer might be able to find a mistake the cops made during the process of arresting you that could work out in your favor. However, if you just go and confess to what you've done, it's going to be very hard to get out of this.

Decline the Breathalyzer Too

If you know for certain you will blow higher than the legal limit in your state, you have the right to refuse the breathalyzer as well. This might cause your license to be suspended, but that could be better than giving the police evidence that you are drunk. If you are going to decline the breath test and also use your right to remain silent, make sure you do so in a respectful way. Don't curse or yell at the officer or you'll just be asking for more charges.

Contact Legal Help As Soon As Possible

If the police do take you to the station, they may try to interview you again or ask you to take another test. In some states, you might actually be legally required to take a blood test, and that could end up hurting your chances of avoiding punishment. No matter what state you live in, you have the right to ask the police to let you contact an attorney before you will agree to cooperate with them. Ask for your phone call and contact a DUI lawyer.

The best advice we can give you is, of course, to never drive drunk. If you find yourself in a bad situation, you can try and limit the damage by declining to give the police certain information and by contacting an attorney ASAP.