DUI Enforcement in Henrico County

Henrico officers heavily and strictly enforce DUI laws. The officers in Henrico are very well trained on how to spot impaired driving and are very active in enforcing these DUIs in Henrico County.  Henrico County is what considered to be a zero tolerance area on DUIs.

So if law enforcement officers have any indication at all that you are impaired, they will conduct what we refer to as a DUI stop and ask you to perform tests and if there’s any indication of impairment, they will arrest you.

If you are arrested and taken into custody it is extremely important you contact a Henrico County DUI lawyer as soon as possible as you will be facing serious charges. DUIs are a major focus for law enforcement in Henrico County.  Due to the public safety concerns caused by DUIs they are top priority.

There have been a number of DUI related accidents in the county over the years that have resulted in significant injuries and even fatalities, so it has become a primary concern in the county and for law enforcement officers to vigorously enforce and actively pursue DUI drivers.

DUI checkpoints are used in Henrico but they are actually not that common because of the size of the county. They want to avoid serious traffic jams and some of the ancillary effects of the roadblocks. So while law enforcement still operates checkpoints on occasion they’re not as common as they used to be.

The Henrico County officers tend to avoid the major state roads for road blocks because of the extreme traffic in the area and possible accidents. They operate check points on secondary roads like Glenside Road or Staples Mill Road, which while very active, are not the major thoroughfares throughout the county.

The field sobriety tests used in Henrico are actually very similar to the ones throughout the state. They’ll ask you to perform the walk and turn test, the heel to toe test, and eye or stigmas gaze test. These tests are used to monitor your coordination, ability to follow directions, and discover indicators of impairment.

The officers will always give the Preliminary roadside breath tests or what also is called a PBT. These tests are used to determine probable cause for an arrest. They cannot be used in court to show your blood alcohol level but are used by officers as a final barometer in determining your alcohol or your intoxication level as probable cause for arrest.

With a drug related DUI the officers will arrest you if the behavior is indicative of someone being under the influence of drugs. They will use visual indicators like your eyes to make determinations. For instance if your eyes are bloodshot, glass or pupils dilated. They will also listen to your speech, if you stammer or slur you words.  Officers will make note of your coordination on field tests and your ability to comprehend the officer’s instructions. Law enforcement will use all of these factors in determining whether to arrest on a DUID.