California Passenger DUIs drunk driving: Instances in which a passenger can end up being booked on driving under the influence- knowing the law.
Is it possible to get a DUI in California without even driving a car? Believe it or not, the answer is yes. Although it is not practical to assume that the passenger in a vehicle was driving, there are circumstances when police could assume the passenger actually was driving and could charge the passenger with DUI. People need to be aware of several sets of circumstances in which a passenger in a motor vehicle could be charged with DUI.
At a Traffic Accident, Police Unsure Who Was Driving
The first and most common situation where a passenger might be charged with DUI is if after arriving at the scene of an accident, the police are unsure as to who was actually driving. If you have an accident and the police arrive and find an intoxicated person in the passenger seat, the police are trained to ask leading questions to elicit responses that might cause you to incriminate yourself.
Both Driver and Passenger Are Out of The Car When Police Arrive
A police could be unsure as to who was actually driving if both the driver and the allegedly intoxicated passenger involved in an auto accident or parked on the side of the road get out of the car before the police arrived. The police might assume that it was the owner of the vehicle that was the one driving.
Finally, imagine you are intoxicated and a concerned person offers to drive you home, in your car, and they have an accident. If you both get out of the car before the police arrive the actual driver could change their mind in order to save themselves from a ticket and lie by saying that you were in fact driving.
The driver could also claim that the intoxicated passenger drunkenly grabbed the steering wheel and caused the accident to happen. If you admit to grabbing the steering wheel in order to try and help avoid the accident, you could be charged with DUI. If the driver is sober and the passenger is intoxicated, the passenger could be charged with DUI.
As unlikely as it may seem, passengers in motor vehicles are occasionally charged with DUI. Safety permitting is a good idea to stay in the vehicle, in the passenger’s seat and do not admit to touching the steering wheel.
