Officers will sometimes set up sobriety, or DUI, checkpoints at various points on the highway. The intent of this checkpoint is to allow officers to catch potential intoxicated drivers and get them off of the road.
However, some drivers may want to avoid these checkpoints for various reasons. But is it actually legal to do so?
How DUI checkpoints work
Low Cost Interlock discusses sobriety checkpoints and their purposes for drivers. As mentioned, officers will set up these checkpoints along the highway in an attempt to weed out intoxicated drivers, thus improving the safety of the road for everyone.
Police generally do not have to notify the public when they will set up a DUI checkpoint. In many states, they do not need to provide alternative routes for those who wish to avoid the checkpoints, either. Instead, avoiding them is up to the driver solely.
Making a safe and legal turn
It is possible and legal to turn before heading into a DUI checkpoint. However, it is important for the driver to do it the right way. In short, they need to get through the checkpoint without making any driving choices that an officer could pull them over for.
This includes aggressive driving, driving over the lines, taking an illegal turn or U-turn, or other aggressive or strange behavior that violates the laws of the road. Note that an officer can even pull someone over simply for a broken taillight or an expired plate sticker, though. They will be on the lookout for reasons to do this when they notice a car turning to leave, due to ingrained bias and suspicion about why a driver may do this.
