When driving along the highway, you may have come across sobriety or DUI checkpoints before. Police can set these up in most states without any warning, and they often do not have to provide alternative routes either.
That does not mean you cannot take an alternative route if you find one, though. However, some caveats exist to this statement.
Safely avoiding a checkpoint
LifeSafer discusses the right way to avoid a DUI checkpoint. Generally speaking, you have every right to avoid a DUI checkpoint in the same way that officers have the right to set them up when and where they would like to.
However, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to find a legal and safe way to avoid the checkpoint. Since officers have no legal obligation to give an alternative route in most cases, the burden of figuring this route out falls directly on you as the driver.
The best way to avoid any issues is simply turning away as soon as possible in a safe manner that abides by the law. In short, do not take illegal turns or U-turns, do not drive recklessly, do not cut off other drivers and do not cross over the lines while trying to get away from the route that goes through the checkpoint.
What happens if you drive unsafely
If you do anything that an officer can identify as illegal – including having an expired plate tag or a broken taillight – then it is possible for them to pull you over. At that point, it gives them an opening to request you to take a DUI test, which can put you in the exact situation you tried to avoid.
