If I’m stopped for driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI), can a police officer ask me questions without reading me my rights?
Sometimes. Whether a police officer has to read you your rights on a DUI or DWI stop depends on whether or not you are in police custody — that is, whether you are subject to the restraints common to a formal arrest. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the police do not have to provide Miranda warnings during roadside questioning of a motorist detained pursuant to a traffic stop. Thus, roadside questioning about your drinking, drug-taking, or performance on field sobriety tests does not constitute “custodial interrogation.” However, once you are arrested — or restrained by the police in a manner consistent with arrest — you must be read your Miranda rights.
