The 6 Key Actions to Take When You’re Pulled Over By The Police
This is something you’ll never get used to. No matter how many times it happens, each time feels like it’s the first. I know what you’re thinking. It is exciting being pulled over by a police officer, it’s dangerous, it’s, exhilarating, it’s, it’s, you guessed it, it’s a ticket.
If a police officer wants you to stop your car, the officer will activate the patrol car’s emergency lights and/or pull up next to you and gesture for you to pull over. If this happens, carefully slow down and pull over at the nearest safe location. When you stop, turn on your emergency flashers, roll down your window and wait for the officer to approach your vehicle.
1. Don’t immediately reach into your glove compartment, visor or jacket for your license and registration. He could mistake your movement as an attempt to find a weapon of some kind. He could shoot you, or even worse, yell at you. Officers generally want you to keep your hands where they can see them for their own safety. You should wait until the officer asks to see your paperwork before you retrieve the documents. Ask why you were pulled over.
2. Always keep this in mind: From the moment the officer stops your car, he or she can record everything you say and use it against you. One of the first things an officer may say to you is, “Do you know why I pulled you over?” Admit nothing. Be courteous and be polite. Don’t try to guess why you were pulled over. Allow the officer time to explain the reason why you were stopped. Provide the requested documents.
