Where to pull over
What to do once you pull over
Conclusion
Where to pull over
If you are driving and you realize that the police are behind you with their lights on, it could be one of two things. They might just need to pass you to get to an emergency call or you are being pulled over for a traffic violation. Either way, you should pull over. If you take too long to pull over and the police officer is in fact pulling you over, you run the risk of adding the criminal charge of evading a police officer.
You should start by changing lanes towards the right. If, after you change one lane, the officer does the same and remains behind you, you can then be certain that you are being pulled over. If you are already in the right most lane, try pulling onto the shoulder or side of the road. If the officer follows, you are being pulled over. If you are being pulled over and there is a side street with considerably less traffic or a close parking lot, try to pull over there. This will make it safer for the officer to approach your window on foot. They will likely appreciate you looking out for their safety and doing so might help buy you some good will in terms of the traffic violation you committed.
What to do once you pull over
When you do come to a complete stop, there are a few things you must do as well as a few things you should do. You must turn off your car, roll down your window, have your license, registration and insurance ready to present the officer as well as obey any directives they give such as stepping out of the vehicle.
Doing what is required is the bare minimum. You should also take your keys out of the ignition and throw them onto the dashboard. You should also keep your hands on the steering wheel at ten and two where the officer can see them. Finally, you should also roll down your passenger side window as the officer may talk to you from there for safety reasons. Doing all of these extra things will make the officer’s job safer and easier which could potentially help you get out of a ticket or get a lower-level ticket instead.
Conclusion
When you see a police officer’s lights in your rearview mirror, it is time to either get out of their way or pull over. If you are getting pulled over, be sure that you pull over promptly and somewhere safe from passing traffic so that the officer does not get injured during the stop. When you do pull over successfully, turn your ignition off, remove the keys from the ignition, have your documentation ready and roll down both of your front windows.
