I received a lot of good feedback from my Christmas Scenes 3 video that I posted to Youtube. I will be running this for a few more days until New Years.
The photographs came from St. Peter’s Church Holiday Fair; Bishop Farms and Pier One in Cheshire. Again, thank you for letting me take photos.
Now I did want to say a few words about my son being followed AGAIN at night by the Cheshire Police Department. My son was coming home early Saturday morning after first stopping at a friends house. Everytime he goes to visit this friend and stays out past 11 p.m. I start worrying. I almost was going to call the Police Department, give them his license plate and tell them–OFF LIMITS!!
UPDATE: Go to the “Story Behind the Story” post to see a comment on this very issue by a long time local resident.
Its annoying. Its like you are looking for permission to go out late at night. IS IT OK??? God, give it a break.
I know when I was down at the CPD looking at the police log, I did notice a lot of arrests for drunk driving. But see, the local paper never puts the “story” behind the arrest, so none of us really knows what events transpired to cause the pullover by the police in the first place.
Was the person weaving? Did they get into an accident? Were they pulled over for let’s say, speeding and while interviewing the driver, did the police smell alcohol?
Thanks to “Inquiring Mind” I was able to come up with some information that will let you in on just what a police officer looks for when trying to spot a driver who is operating a motor vehicle under the influence.
I hate to say this, but after I read the list, I can understand why my son gets pulled over-he usually has his highbeams on at night because he says he has a little trouble seeing and number two-he drives SLOW!!
But, as I have stated before, these two actions do not necessarily mean one is intoxicated-not at all. And I do not advocate driving drunk. I don’t drink that much because when I do, I literally just pass out.
I will be breaking with tradition on New Years Eve and tying one on big time. Then I will drive my car down Rt. 10. I will be driving around 12:30 a.m., so stay off of the roads–I WARNED YOU!!
I have always wondered, if there is a difference between impaired driving and driving when one is just “technically” over the limit. I am NOT advocating driving drunk-not at all, but I sometimes think a lot of people are being arrested for “technically” being over the limit, i.e. over the .08 blood alcohol level, but not being “impaired” enough where they cannot control a motor vehicle. I am going to follow up on some of these so called DUI arrests with the courthouse to see what the final disposition is. I won’t be putting any names in my posts, just updates, i.e. percentages of people “convicted” vs percentage of accused who had their charges dropped.
I know a lot of people drive intoxicated, but in Cheshire, the numbers seem to be a little high (no pun intended).
Before I expound on the blood alcohol reading vs impaired issue, let’s see what a cop looks for when trying to spot a drunk driver.
JUST IN TIME FOR NEW YEARS EVE PEOPLE!!!
Q: What does a police officer look for when he effectuates a traffic stop?
A: When a police officer stops a suspect for possible DWI, the officer is trained to look for several “clues” to help him make a determination regarding the sobriety of the suspect. The clues are largely derived from the research of the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTA). The NHTA prints a manual which law enforcement officers are trained to follow in alcohol related stops. A few of the clues include:
- 1. Effectuating an improper turn (turns with too large/small a radius)
- 2. Repeatedly crossing the double yellow lane
- 3. Striking objects on the roadway
- 4. Excessive weaving or swerving between lanes, erratic driving
- 5. Driving too slow (less than 10mph) below speed limit or too fast (necessitating a stop)
- 6. Stopping in a traffic lane without reason
- 7. Following too closely behind the vehicle in front
- 8. Braking the vehicle in lane of travel erratically or without cause
- 9. Signaling inconsistent with driving actions
- 10. Driving with vehicle headlights off
Initially in a traffic stop, an officer is looking for signs of alcohol use. An officer will engage the suspect in a dialogue in order to monitor speech pattern and to smell for alcohol. They will note the suspects physical appearance in the car, any odor of alcohol in the car and any open containers in the car.
While a suspect always has legal rights (ie. the right not to incriminate herself by answering questions) which they may choose to exercise, it is important that a suspect always be polite a courteous to law enforcement officers. If a suspect chooses not to answer questions or to engage any field sobriety tests as requested by the officer, the suspect should politely inform the officer of his decision and allow the officer to determine how he wishes to proceed. The officer may choose to take the suspect into custody and transport her to the police station in order to administer a breathalyzer test. This is a test based on the suspects alcohol content on her breath. A suspect will blow into a machine and the machine will determine alcohol content on the breath. The result of this test will be used against the suspect in court.
If requested by a police officer to take the breathalyzer test (not to be confused with a preliminary breath test which is given in the field and is not required by law), Maryland law requires that the suspect take the test. Technically, a suspect can refuse to take the test if they so choose but the suspect will face administrative penalties involving the probable loss of their license for a significant period of time (120 days for a first refusal and a year for subsequent refusal). A suspect is always entitled to an Administrative hearing when stopped for an alcohol violation in order to modify the possible penalty for the offense but a suspect is reminded that the administrative request for hearing must be filed timely (generally within 10 days of the offense but in no event later than 30 days).
Q: Should I perform the field sobriety tests if asked?
A: In a word, NO. Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs) are generally not a good idea. The problem with FSTs is that they are typically given on the side of the road or on a nearby parking lot, at night, in the presence of an officer, under stressful inquisition type circumstances by an individual whose primary motivation is accumulating evidence to use against you in Court.
The FSTs measure varying levels of physical coordination and the ability to listen and to follow what the officer is telling the suspect to do. The tests are not natural, some are open to serious critism and often times they are not properly explained by the officer. If a suspect chooses not to engage the FSTs, there is no penalty for that decision but the suspect is cautioned to be respectful and polite to the officer when making the decision.
I am going to link you to a few discussions on drunk and impaired driving. I also am going to include a Blood Alcohol Counter that you can use to determine if you are legally intoxicated.
All you do is put in the information, i.e., your weight (DON’T LIE), and what type of alcohol you are drinking and how much. You click on the button and viola–your Blood Alcohol level is calculated.
“Why You Should Not Drive Drunk”
Drunk Driving Traffic Stop and Investigation
Brain Protein That Causes Intoxication Found
Finally:
