Collision Guard

Do you know the proper etiquette to follow in a traffic stop?  Police officers risk their lives everyday doing their jobs, so it is needless to say that they are very on guard when they make a stop.  If you want to have a better experience and avoid any complications during the stop, here are some tips to put the police officer at ease and to make things safer for him, as well as for yourself.

1. Make sure you very calmly merge to the right side of the road, watching for other cars, and maintaining a safe speed.  Don’t panic, the police officer will not be mad if you do not pull over instantly, he would much rather you take the time to pull into a safe area and do so safely.

2. Make sure there is plenty of room between your car and the edge of the road.  The officer has to walk on your side of the car, if you want to put him at ease, make sure he’s not having to worry about cars hitting him.  Remember, he is just there to keep the roads safe, do your part to make sure he stays safe as well.

3. Roll down the driver side windows if it is practical to do so.  This lets the officer immediately see what is in your vehicle and shows him that you have nothing to hide.  This will make him much more comfortable as he will know there is not a threat to him in the back seat.

4. Keep your hands on the wheel until asked to retrieve papers.  This lets him see your hands are up and there is no threat of a weapon being drawn.  Police officers have to deal with that very real threat everyday.  If you can show him that you aren’t one of those threats, it will do a lot to make him more at ease.

5. Be honest and do not argue.  The police officer has pulled you over for a reason.  You can only make things worse by being argumentative or by lying.  Remember, officers are trained to detect when people are lying to them.  If there is one thing that will typically irritate an officer, it is being lied to.  If you disagree with the ticket, don’t argue it with the officer, it will not change his mind.  Instead, take the ticket, thank the officer for doing his job, and take the ticket to court if you wish to dispute it.

For more tips and information on Traffic Stop Basics, check out this article. You can also find more great tips on safe driving at www.collisionguard.com!