Pulled Over By Police? Stay Safe With 3 These Tips

Few things ruin your night quite like seeing a pair of blue and red lights flashing behind you in the rear-view mirror and realizing that they're signaling you to pull over. Almost every driver will be pulled over at some point, and it's never any fun. But it's important to be prepared and know what to do when you are pulled over. You don't want to find yourself getting into a confrontation with the police, and knowing how to act when the police pull you over can help keep the situation under control. Take a look at some safety tips that will help you during a traffic stop.

Find a Safe Place to Pull Over

You don't necessarily have to slam the breaks as soon as you see that you're being pulled over. You want to find a place to stop that is safe for you and for the officer. That may mean taking the next exit ramp off of the highway so that you're not stopped in an unsafe spot with a lot of traffic whizzing by, or driving past a deserted area so that you can pull over in a more public place. The latter is especially important if you're being pulled over by an unmarked car. There have been cases of criminals impersonating real police, and if you are ever targeted by one of these imposters, you'll be safer in a more public location. If you have any doubt that you're being followed by a real police car, you can call 911 with your location and they'll be able to confirm that the stop is legitimate.

What you don't want to do is make the police officer behind you angry while you look for a safe place to pull over. You can avoid this by acknowledging that you've seen the officer and will be complying as soon as you safely can. Turn on your emergency flashers to let the officer know you've seen him and let the drivers around you know that you'll be stopping shortly.

Make The Officer Feel Safe

Saying that it's your job to make the officer feel safe may sound ridiculous. After all, the officer is the one with the badge, the gun, and most of the power in this situation. But the truth is, traffic stops are incredibly dangerous for police. The officer doesn't know whether or not you have a weapon, doesn't know whether you're an ordinary citizen or a violent felon, and doesn't know how you'll react to whatever the officer has to say. All those unknowns can make an officer pretty tense, so it's a good idea to quickly establish that you're not a threat.

There are a few ways to do that. Start by turning your engine off – that indicates that you don't plan to speed away. If you're being pulled over at night, turn on your dome light so that the officer can see that you don't have anything illegal in the car. Keep your hands on the wheel as the officer approaches you, and don't try to get out of your car. If you have to reach for something, like your registration, let the officer know that you're going to be opening the glove box or console – don't move your hands suddenly without warning. Be polite and courteous, no matter what, and follow the officer's instructions, even if they seem unfair. For example, if you're smoking and the officer asks you to put out your cigarette, put it out. You can complain later – right now your focus should be on getting through this traffic stop without incident.

If You're Arrested

If you were pulled over for something like speeding or failing to signal, being polite and cooperative will often get you a warning instead of a ticket. But if you were pulled over for something like suspicion of DUI, matching the description of a wanted person, or having an open warrant in your name, then an arrest might be inevitable. If you're being arrested, it's very important not to resist – you'll just end up being charged with resisting arrest on top of whatever else you're being arrested for.

The smart thing to do when an arrest is inevitable is to be quiet and cooperate. Make sure that you state that you're invoking your right to remain silent. While at one time, you would have had to expressly waive your right to silence for your statements to be admissible, a 2010 Supreme Court decision held that statements from suspects who did not waive their rights are admissible. Verbally stating that you're exercising your right to remain silent protects you from further interrogation. In addition, you should invoke your right to an attorney. Once you've done that, stay quiet through the arrest and until you meet with your attorney.

Traffic stops and arrests don't have to be dangerous for you or for the officer who pulls you over. By parking in a safe place, knowing how to put an officer at ease, and handling a traffic stop correctly, you'll ensure that the situation doesn't escalate out of your control.