Being charged with a DWI marks a difficult time in anyone's life. Unfortunately, mistakes happen and many people get behind a wheel after having too much to drink. A DWI can happen to every type of person; this does not necessarily mean those convicted of a DWI are bad people, but rather people who had a lapse in judgment.

North Carolina has many penalties in place to deter people from drunk driving. Therefore, it is important to take instant action to limit these penalties, as well as the effect DWIs might have on a person's daily life.

North Carolina, in particular, has very strict DWI punishments, and some of the penalties begin immediately after formal charges have been filed.

DWI Penalties in North Carolina

People face many uncertainties when they are charged with a DWI and wonder what will happen to their driving privileges and if they will lose their license.

North Carolina law enforcement will immediately revoke a license for 30 days once DWI charges have been filed. Certain individuals might be eligible for limited driving privileges, but they must wait a full 10 days before an application can be submitted.

At this stage it is helpful to have an experienced DWI attorney's assistance since the legal process can be overwhelming. Additionally, an attorney can provide insight into you eligibility for temporary reinstatement of driving privileges, and can help ensure police followed the proper protocol during the arrest.

What if I Have Been Pulled Over for DWI?

There are many things a person can do during their traffic stop to immediately begin mitigating potential penalties associated with DWIs:

• Slowly pull over to the side of the road while keeping an eye out for other cars (crashes might add an aggravating factor to the charges, thus increasing the level of the offense)
• Act politely towards the police and provide all necessary documents when asked
• Take the BAC test (refusal to do so results in an automatic one year revocation of driving privileges)
• Remember that everyone has a right to speak with an attorney before answering any questions - contact an attorney as soon as possible

North Carolina is very serious about drunk driving, so anyone charged with a DWI should be very serious about protecting their rights. Contact an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately for help in keeping your driving privileges and getting your life back to normal.