Bad Driving? Must be DUI...
As absurd as this sounds, it’s still a philosophy to which cops nationwide wholeheartedly subscribe. This is due in large part to the list that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published which matches common driving patterns with the likelihood as to whether the driver committing the violation is DUI.
The problem with this list is that driving patterns are not indicative of DUI…they’re just not. It’s more likely that driving patterns such as weaving, swerving, speeding, tailgating, erratic braking, and abrupt turning could be due to countless innocent explanations…explanations that have nothing to do with drunk driving.
Fatigue, distraction, other drivers…these are just a simple example of why a perfectly sober driver could engage in any of the above mentioned driving patterns. And the fact that there are far more sober people than impaired people who are involved in accidents is further evidence why driving patterns are not indicative of DUI.
