10 Tips To Avoid A Traffic Stop Gone Wrong

Nobody wants to get stopped by the cops. Even worse, no one wants a confrontational traffic stop. If you do happen to get stopped though, there are things you can do to improve the outcome of your next traffic stop.

Put yourself in the place of the police officer who is pulling you over. The officer has no idea who you are, and the officer is ready for any number of common and uncommon possibilities:

• • Are you drunk?
  • Is the car stolen?
  • Did you just kill someone?

You will be well served by playing it cool and cooperative, being polite, and not saying more than required. Here are ten tips to avoid a traffic stop gone wrong.

1. Pull Over When The Cop Lights You Up.

When you first see the flashing red and blue lights behind you, slow down, put on your right turn signal, and find a spot to pull over where the officer can safely conduct the stop.

2. Prepare For The Cop Approaching Your Car.

When you have stopped, turn on your hazard lights, turn off the radio and ignition, and consider turning on your overhead light if it is dark; stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt on. If you take your seatbelt off, you might get a ticket for no seatbelt.

3. Be Visible and Predictable.

Roll down your window and keep your hands visible on the steering wheel. Do not reach for anything until the officer asks for it. The approaching officer does not know if you are reaching for your insurance card or a gun. The fact that the officer can now see into your car and see your hands will go a long way towards putting the officer at ease.

4. Be Polite.

When the officer engages you, always be polite. You do not know what ridiculousness the officer may have dealt with already that day. Coming off as confrontational will immediately put the officer on the offensive.

5. Say As Little As Possible.

If there is any risk that you could be charged with anything serious, invoke your right to remain silent, and stop talking. You do need to answer some basic questions, like your identity or if you have any firearms.

6. Don’t Argue.

Do not argue with the officer. Be straight forward and succinct when speaking to the officer. This is not a social outing. Don’t volunteer any information, and, if you know you were caught, dead-to-rights, for a minor traffic violation, answer the questions that are asked, honestly – the officer has heard it all before. You’re not going to win an argument on the side of the road with a cop. Save it for court.

7. Don’t Admit To Anything (Usually)

If you are certain that speeding (less than 20 mph over) is all they could legally hold you to account for, when asked “Do you know why I pulled you over?,” you might answer “I was going too fast” if you were speeding. In most circumstances, it is safe to politely respond, “I cannot think of a reason officer, could you explain?” Now there are situations where admitting to something can be the right call, but this is an on the spot evaluation of the circumstances. For example, if a cop say you doing donuts in a parking lot, this might be a situation where an admission could make your life easier. If the cop perceives you as cooperating, maybe he doesn’t impound your car, or maybe he doesn’t book you into jail. An admission will of course make it impossible to negitiate in your case later, but in a situation like that, it may not matter too much.

8. Communicate Your Movements To The Cop.

When the officer asks for your license, registration, and proof of insurance, tell them what you are going to do next.  In other words, if your registration and proof of insurance are in the glove box, tell the officer you are going to reach into the glove box for those items. Other than providing these items, you are under no obligation to answer any other questions, nor must you submit to any roadside field sobriety tests, nor do you have to consent to a search. If ordered to step out of your vehicle, you must comply.

9. Just Take The Citation And Go.

If you receive a citation, take it politely and conclude the traffic stop. This goes back to #5 above: do not argue. Arguing, complaining or being rude will not improve your outcome, and may lead to additional citations.

10. Go Away Calmly.

After the traffic stop is over and it is time for you to drive off, do so calmly. Squealing your tires and kicking up gravel onto the hood of the officer’s car will result in a second traffic stop.

Conclusions

Most of the above suggestions can be condensed into don’t be a dick to the officer, and be transparent and predictable. Cops are people too, and if they perceive you as confrontational or difficult, they in turn may make your life difficult.

The above suggestions cover a routine traffic stop and how to keep it from turning into a traffic stop gone wrong.  In the future, we will cover suggestions on how to deal with carrying weapons in your car, requests for searches, and other less common situations.