A Myrtle Beach DUI stop unfolds in stages, from the initial approach to the request for field sobriety tests. Attorney Greg McCollum of the Greg McCollum Complete Legal Defense Team walks through what police are watching for at each stage, so drivers know what to expect if they are stopped on suspicion of DUI in South Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
DUI Arrest in Myrtle Beach SC – What Happens When Police Stop You?
A lot of good people get charged with DUI. Basically what happens, for whatever reason, the police get behind you and they drive behind you, and you see them in the rearview mirror. At that point their cameras are on, so they’re recording your driving.
They’re looking for clues: are you weaving within the lane, are you crossing the center line, are you driving erratically. They’re right there, they’re trying to make a case against you, they’re recording evidence.
Then when they stop you, blue lights, they walk up to the car and ask you for your license, registration, and insurance card, and they’re watching how you pick those things up. Can you find them? Because anything you do wrong is evidence of drunk driving.
Myrtle Beach DUI Stop – What Happens When Police Ask You to Get Out of the Car
If you’ve been drinking and you’re pulled over and the police ask you to step out of the car, you’re doomed. What they’re going to do is say something like, let me check you out to make sure that you’re good to drive, you’re safe to drive. But what they’re doing is really just setting you up, because they’re going to ask you to do these field sobriety tests, which are failure based balance tests.
One is the eye test, which I don’t believe in at all. The other one is a walk and turn on a line, and the other one is hold your leg up. All of that’s filmed from the car, it’s all on camera, and no one can do it. You have the right to refuse those. If you refuse, you’re going to jail, but you’re going to jail anyway.
Myrtle Beach SC DUI Traffic Stop – What Police Look For When They Reach Your Window
Once a police officer gets up to your car window, he’s using his senses and he’s looking at everything that’s going on. Is there a drink in the console? Do you smell like alcohol? Is there a liquor bottle in the floorboard? Is there something in the back seat that’s incriminating?
Then they ask you for your license, registration, and insurance card, and they’re watching how you retrieve those, because if you don’t know where they are, if you’re fumbling around, they see that as evidence that you’re disoriented, which would indicate to them that you’re under the influence.
If you have those documents ready when the officer walks up, that’s the best case scenario, and that way you’re not failing the initial test before they get you out of the car.
Greg McCollum has practiced law in South Carolina for roughly 30 years, including time as a former prosecutor, which gives him insight into how DUI stops and investigations are built from the officer’s side of the encounter. That background can matter for drivers trying to understand what happened during their own stop and what options may be available afterward.
If you have questions about a Myrtle Beach DUI stop, call the Greg McCollum Complete Legal Defense Team at (843) 626-5480. Consultations are confidential.
