The best way to avoid driving under the influence (DUI) charges is to not drink and drive. In an ideal world, that would be adequate advice, but the reality is that many people still find themselves behind the wheel after taking a sip of alcohol or two. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, here are a few tips you can take to avoid DUI arrest or conviction.

Follow All Traffic Laws

There is no way the police will suspect you of drunk driving without seeing some related behavior from you. One of the signs that will alert the police that you are drunk is if you are disobeying traffic laws. Even if they don't suspect you of drunk driving when you run the red light, they will flag you down for the traffic violation, and then everything else will fall apart. Therefore, don't draw attention to yourself by flouting traffic laws.

Check Your Car to Ensure Everything Is Working

Before getting into the car, walk around it and confirm that everything is in order. There should not be any visible malfunction that the police can use as probable cause to flag you down. For example, think twice think twice about getting into the car if the taillight is broken or the windshield wipers aren't working (and the weather is cloudy).

Be Wary of DUI Check Points

There is no use driving through a DUI checkpoint even if you have only "tasted" a little alcohol. This is the time when you want to be as far away from the place as possible. Therefore, stay clear of known DUI checkpoints as well as areas where DUI checkpoints or the traffic police are likely to be. This means you should be wary of roads leading away from bars, picnic sites or other environments in which alcohol is served. In fact, it might be worth it to take alternative routes to wherever you are going.

Make Your Papers Easily Accessible

If the police do stop you, they will probably ask you for your registration and license papers. Make a mistake of fumbling for the papers, and they will suspect that your mind is cloudy, or you have coordination problems – classic symptoms of intoxication. Therefore, preempt such a problem by placing your identification documents in an accessible area where you don't have to fumble for them. 

Hopefully, you won't be driving under the influence any time soon, and you won't be arrested for it. If you do get arrested, however, get a DUI lawyer to help with your defense. For more information, contact a company like Maltezos Law Offices.