Can I Get Arrested For DUI In a Parked Vehicle?

Needless to say, driving a vehicle while being under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances is a huge mistake that may cause tremendous damage to your life and the lives of people around you. Thousands of people every day end up being victims of the drunk or intoxicated driving – many of them are seriously injured and some of them even end up dead. Unfortunately, the number of the DUI accidents tends to increase every year, so it is no wonder that the law enforcement authorities are trying their best to put an end to these tragedies. With that said, considering all of the above-mentioned information, it is only natural that there is more than one way to get yourself arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances.

We are all aware of the numerous Sacramento DUI checkpoints and patrol cars, but did you know that you could even be arrested for DUI inside a parked vehicle? There are situations where the law enforcement officers will find it necessary to arrest you, despite the fact that you are in a parked vehicle. For instance, there are known cases, when the driver was found sleeping in a parked car with the engine still running. The police officers considered such behavior rather suspicious, so they decided to wake him up and test his sobriety. In most situations, it actually turns out that the driving was in fact under the influence of alcohol and the driver is immediately charged for DUI in Sacramento.

Of course, most people are well used to the fact that driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances is very dangerous and therefore is punishable by law, but very few realize that the law is in fact much more harsh and could punish even those who were not driving at all.

So how do the law enforcement officers determine who should be arrested and who is not really doing anything wrong. Well, first of all, it is important to understand that even if only your headlights are on or your radio is playing, it is considered that you are inside a vehicle that is ready to drive and your intentions are to drive, while being intoxicated. In addition, the witness statements are very important. For example, if you were trying to park your car in a parking lot and was doing so with great efforts, since you were drunk, the witnesses have every right to call the law enforcement officers upon you, since you were clearly intoxicated. Sure enough, it does not matter if you were not intending to actually drive the vehicle – the court will have to decide you fate.

Hence, you should definitely keep those factors in mind and avoid getting behind the wheel while being intoxicated, even if you simply wish to sleep it off or to listen to some music. Do not forget that the penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances are very harsh and you could end up losing your driver’s license, paying expensive fines, being obliged to acquire a pricey insurance and, depending on the circumstances, could even be sentenced to jail.

Were you arrested and charged with DUI in a parked vehicle? Contact our law firm now!

Sacramento DUI Lawyers, Sacramento DUI attorney