In which DWI Detection phase is the officer expected to approach the suspected vehicle?

The phase in which the officer approaches the suspected vehicle is the Personal Contact Phase. During this phase, the officer engages directly with the driver after the initial observations of the vehicle's behavior have raised suspicions of DWI. This is the point where the officer will assess the driver’s demeanor, speech, and any physical signs of intoxication. The officer may also conduct further questioning and some preliminary assessments, such as observing the driver for any signs of impairment.

This phase is crucial because it allows the officer to confirm or dispel suspicions that were formed during the previous phases, such as Vehicle in Motion and Initial Observations. Each of those earlier phases helps establish a foundation of behaviors that may indicate impairment, but it is in the Personal Contact Phase that the officer gathers direct evidence and can begin to make determinations about the need for field sobriety testing or other investigative actions.