When you come across a DUI checkpoint on the road, you may panic at first. After all, whether you have engaged in illegal behavior or not, coming across police can instill anxiety in just about anyone.
You may thus want to avoid the DUI checkpoint if at all possible. While it is not illegal to do so, you want to make sure you do it in the right way.
Turning in a legal way
LifeSafer discusses DUI checkpoints and their purpose, along with ways to potentially avoid them. First, it is entirely possible to avoid a DUI checkpoint by simply turning around or taking an alternative route away from it. However, the latter requires navigating a secondary route without any external help, as most police do not have an obligation to provide an alternative route on their end.
As for turning around, a driver should only do this if they can do so in a legal way. This means no illegal U-turns, no cutting off other cars, no reckless driving or speeding, no driving over solid lines and so on. If an officer sees a car driving in a way that breaks laws, they can pull that driver over.
Things an officer may look for
Likewise, an officer can pull a driver over for other infractions not related to driving, too. This includes broken tail lights or expired plate tags. In other words, a driver should only turn away from a DUI checkpoint if they have confidence an officer will have no other reason to pull them over. After all, if an officer does pull over a driver, they can then request a BAC test much more easily.