Video Resources

What Do Officers Watch for During a DUI Traffic Stop?

What Do Officers Watch for During a DUI Traffic Stop?

Answer

Officers are trained to look for driving cues such as drifting across lane lines, wide turns, inconsistent speed, and unusually slow driving. The video notes that those behaviors can also occur in drivers who are not impaired.

Officers use trained observations to identify drivers who may be impaired. Examples include drifting over lane lines, making unusually wide turns, touching fog lines, changing speed inconsistently, or driving very slowly.

These behaviors can prompt further investigation, but they are not unique to impaired drivers. A DUI case should be evaluated in context because sober drivers may show the same driving patterns.