While many interactions between motorists and the police occur when an officer on patrol pulls over a vehicle, there are times that you may find yourself speaking to a police officer after coming across a checkpoint. Different police departments take different approaches to checkpoints, but many use them to provide an opportunity to speak to unsuspecting motorists — and then see if there's a reason to write a ticket. If you've driven after consuming alcohol, it's possible that a checkpoint could lead to DUI charge. In such a situation, you'll want to quickly consult with a DUI attorney. Here are some checkpoints that could lead to a DUI arrest.

DUI Checkpoint

Lots of police departments hold DUI checkpoints. The primary goal of these checkpoints is to assess whether drivers appear to be under the influence of alcohol and, if so, write DUI tickets and perform arrests. Checkpoints can appear at random around your community at any time, but you'll often find that they're common around the holidays — when the police assume that more people are driving after they've been drinking. If a police officer speaks to you as you pass through the checkpoint and you show indicators of inebriation, you'll be asked to pull over and perform some tests.

Insurance Checkpoint

In some jurisdictions, police departments will hold checkpoints in which they'll check motorists' insurance. Sometimes, these events are called "insurance blitzes." The chief goal of such a checkpoint is to catch and ticket those who are driving without insurance, but don't think that a police officer will ignore you if you display signs of intoxication. Even if the officer who is speaking to you is primarily focused on insurance, he or she will also be assessing you to see if you've been drinking.

Fugitive Checkpoint

Although they're much more rare than the above two types of road checkpoints, you may sometimes come across a checkpoint if the police are looking for an escaped fugitive. After a prison break, for example, the police will set up a series of checkpoints around the prison in the hopes of finding the escapee stowed away in a vehicle or perhaps even driving a stolen vehicle. Police officers are usually in a hurry to push vehicles through these checkpoints, but if you show signs of intoxication, it's reasonable to expect that you'll be detained. If you've been arrested for DUI at any type of checkpoint, hire a DUI lawyer.