Turning Around at a DUI Checkpoint in Las Vegas

Las Vegas DUI checkpoints help law enforcement detect intoxicated drivers. If you see a DUI checkpoint ahead, you might feel the urge to turn around. Maybe you believe you’re intoxicated or otherwise at risk of legal trouble. Is turning around before you reach the checkpoint a good idea?

Turning around before DUI checkpoints in Las Vegas is sometimes permissible. Whether doing so is advisable may depend on various factors.

Are DUI Checkpoints Legal in Las Vegas?

Nevada law allows police to set up DUI checkpoints, which are temporary roadblocks used to screen motorists for intoxication. Police often establish checkpoints in areas and during times when intoxicated driving may be more common. However, they must abide by certain requirements. For example, the location of a DUI checkpoint must allow approaching motorists to see it from at least 100 yards away.

How Do I Comply With a DUI Checkpoint?

 Complying with Las Vegas DUI checkpoints involves:

• Slowing down as you approach a checkpoint
• Following the directions any signage or law enforcement officers provide
• Furnishing your license and registration upon the request of police officers

Police may ask you questions like “Have you been drinking tonight?” They might also ask you to submit to a breath exam or other sobriety test. You don’t have to answer these questions or participate in these exams. You always have the right to refuse to incriminate yourself. However, submitting to a sobriety test is usually wiser than refusing one, as doing so could lead to the suspension of your driving privileges and other penalties.

Police typically do not check every vehicle at a DUI checkpoint. Doing so is often impractical. However, they also can’t choose which vehicles to check based on discriminatory reasons.

Can I Turn Around if I See an Upcoming DUI Checkpoint in the Distance?

Can you turn around at a DUI checkpoint in Las Vegas? Technically, yes, as long as you don’t perform an illegal U-turn or other improper maneuver to do so. For example, if you spot a DUI checkpoint in the distance, you may legally turn down a side street to avoid the checkpoint. Be aware that officers may establish checkpoints in spots that offer drivers limited opportunities to avoid them.

Turning around at a DUI checkpoint may be legal if you obey all traffic laws. That said, the police can still pull you over if your driving gives them reason to suspect you are intoxicated.

How Can a DUI Attorney in Las Vegas Help?

A drunk driving conviction can have significant implications for both your short-term and long-term future. You don’t have to face this possibility alone. Instead, you can turn to the team Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law for help. A Las Vegas DUI lawyer with our firm can assist you by:

• Explaining the nature of the charges
• Explaining the penalties you may face after a DUI conviction
• Developing a defense strategy

Potential defenses in these circumstances can vary based on many factors. For example, a defense attorney may be able to show a DUI sobriety checkpoint failed to meet the legal requirements. To learn more about what a DUI defense attorney can do for you, contact us online for a free case review.