Laws are made to make the community safe. As a responsible citizen, it is your job to familiarize yourself with different state laws. You can use your knowledge to avoid officers from pressing charges against you. Plus, you might save yourself from trouble.

DUI or “driving under the influence” is also called as DWI or “driving while intoxicated.” If you’re driving around or traveling to Texas, you should understand how to deal with DUI first offense Texas; This will help you protect your rights.

Pulled over For the First Time

The police officer already has signs of you driving impaired before he pulled you over. Indications of you driving while intoxicated include: swerving vehicles and driving in 2 lanes. If you don’t want to make it evident that you’re under the influence of alcohol, avoid driving too fast or too slow. Just push the car smoothly and follow traffic rules.

Passengers and drivers have almost the same rights during a traffic stop. So what to expect when an officer asks you to pull over? A traffic stop may seem routine to you, but if you’re suspected with DWI, you should be cautious. First, they will ask for your driver’s license and some questions. It is a simple trick to smell the alcohol on you. They will probe and request you to perform several sobriety tests.

What’s a Field Sobriety Test?

Standard Field Sobriety Test is three standard examinations done in the field. These tests determine whether a driver is under the influence of alcohol and drugs or not. The first test is the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, also known as the flashlight test. An officer will use a small flashlight or pen. Then, he will ask you to follow the object horizontally.

In the walk-and-turn test, the police officer will ask you to walk in a straight line. But, it is not just an ordinary walking. You will be asked to walk nine steps heel-to-toe then turn around to do it the other way. It seems easy, right? Nope. These are some signs that you’re drunk: you can’t maintain balance, starts too soon, and steps off the straight line. If you raise your arms more than 6 inches and turn improperly, you failed the test.

The third sobriety test is the one-legged stand. In this examination, you will be asked to stand with one foot six inches above the ground. After standing on one foot, you need to count out loud. If you hop, sway or drop your foot for balance, you failed.

Blood and Breath Test for DUI first offense Texas

Unlike previous examinations, this blood and breath test is not pure observation. For dui first offense texas, the arresting officer will request for blood or breath test after the sobriety test. The legal blood-alcohol content limit is .08 grams of alcohol in every 100ml of blood. It is measured by blood alcohol concentration or BAC. The breath test, on the other hand, has a more significant margin of error.

Penalties, Jail Range and License Suspension

DWI in Texas first offense cost up to $2,000 maximum fine. You will be imprisoned for 72 hours to 1 year in the county jail. Plus, your license will be suspended. For DWI in Texas 2nd offense maximum fine is $4,000 and the 3rd offense is $10,000. These penalties depend on the number of offenses and crime classification.

What’s ALR Suspension?

ARL stands for Administrative License Revocation. From the day you were arrested, you have only 15 days to make a Texas ALR hearing request. You will automatically lose your driver’s license if you fail to request the hearing earlier. Even if the DWI charge is dismissed, there is a tendency that your license can still be suspended. So call the best DWI defense lawyer in Texas. Jim Butler from The Butler Law firm can help you.