Work, school, errands – all of these daily responsibilities require the use of a vehicle. Since we hop in our cars anytime we need to get around, we don’t stop to think that driving is a privilege, not a right. This is especially important when it comes to Georgia’s Implied Consent Law. Under this law, you as a Georgia licensed driver are consenting to submit to a chemical test if you are stopped for driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. If you refuse, you can face harsh consequences including losing the right to drive.

Whatever the circumstances are surrounding your DUI case, you should contact an experienced Georgia DUI defense lawyer. Even if you refused to take a blood, breath or urine test, your lawyer may be able to have the charges against you reduced or even dropped. And you’ll want someone on your side when you realize that violating the Implied Consent Law can mean heavy fines, insurance coverage problems and losing your driver’s license.

For some drivers who refuse to take a blood, breath or urine test, their goal is to make it more difficult for the State to prove they have been driving under the influence of a substance. However, the State views refusal as an admission of guilt and imposes penalties. There are also other ways that police can try to test your sobriety. For example, if they observed erratic driving behavior, smelled alcohol on your breath or noticed strange behavior they may suspect you of drinking and driving.

Police also give drivers field sobriety tests as a way to prove their suspicions. These physical demonstrations seek to test a person’s skills on how they should normally behave if they are not intoxicated or on drugs. However, field sobriety tests have their own set of problems and are not always reliable themselves. It’s also important to note here that chemical tests are not always reliable either.

If you have been arrested for DUI because you failed to submit to a chemical test, immediately contact a DUI defense attorney to explain your rights. This is a serious criminal offense and the State makes a point to punish anyone who has not cooperated with Implied Consent.