Tips for Avoiding Motorcycle DUI Penalties
Motorcycle accidents are serious, and if you're driving a motorcycle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the penalties can be severe. Obviously, the easiest way to avoid DUI penalties is to not operate your motorcycle if you're impaired. However, here are some tips for avoiding DUI penalties and what you need to do if you're charged with this crime.
Beware of Legal Medications
Legal medications such as over-the-counter medication and prescribed medication can cause drivers to be impaired to the same extent as if you were drinking or taking illegal drugs. Many people mistakenly believe they can't be charged with DUI when they're taking medication as prescribed by their doctor. This belief leads to well-meaning people being charged with serious crimes when they get behind the handlebars after taking allergy medication that makes them drowsy or other medications that have similar effects. If you take medications that affect your faculties in any way, avoid driving your motorcycle for several hours until the effects wear off. Otherwise, you could be pulled over for erratic driving and arrested.
Fighting the Charges
What happens when you're charged with DUI and you were intoxicated or under the influence of an illegal substance? In a case like this, you want to stay quiet following your arrest and contact an attorney as soon as possible.
Speaking with an attorney as soon as possible is important to developing a strategy. Whether it's your first time charged with driving under the influence or you're a repeat offender, you want as few penalties as possible. A DUI attorney looks at your case and determines if evidence can be suppressed because it was collected illegally. For example, often DUI cases involve drug paraphernalia charges. If the paraphernalia was obtained as the result of an illegal search, this evidence could be suppressed and inadmissible in court. Minimizing the charges brought against you is your main goal and your attorney's goal, too.
DUI charges carry a wide range of penalties such as community service, fines, and jail or prison time. The severity of the penalties depends on the actual crime as well as the offender's history. Repeat offenders face harsher penalties than first time offenders. Regardless, whether it's your first DUI arrest or your fourth, you need professional legal representation.
Contact a Motorcycle Lawyer
Although motorcycle DUI charges might not seem like they're in a class of their own, they do require the expertise of an attorney who deals with these cases regularly. Contact an attorney and work with them to increase your chances of getting to keep your motorcycle license and reduce your financial penalties.
Are you in need of a motorcycle lawyer in Atlanta, GA? If so, you deserve to work with highly-skilled attorneys who are the best at what they do. That's why you need to call George Stein Steelhorse Law at 1-888-38-COURT to speak with the top-rated Atlanta motorcycle lawyers.
