I know it has happened to you at least once. It happened to me twice. Once when I backed up in the middle of the street and the second time when I had an expired registration sticker on my car. Yes, yours truly has been pulled over. And I’m positive that I am not the only one that has been.
Maybe you have been pulled over because of speeding, running a yellow light or stop sign. But are you aware of your rights when you get pulled over?
When the sirens wailYou’re flying on the highway, wind blowing on your face and don’t realize that you may have went above the speed limit. While you are basking in the sun, to your surprise, a state trooper car emerges from its hiding place. You:
a.) gun it. You’re sure you can out run him. They do it all the time on that television show Cops.
b.) slow down to a stop and then speed off when the officer is walking toward your car.
c.) pull over calmly as soon as you safely can, using your turn signals to pull all the way over to the right side of the road.
I really hope you chose the answer C. By stopping as soon as you can and calmly, you will probably be on the better side of an otherwise irritate cop.
Pulled over
Now you’re on the side of the road and waiting for the officer to come to your window. “When being stopped, remain calm, keep your hands on the steering wheel in plain view. Only move when told to do so,?advises Connecticut State Police Sgt. J. Paul Vance. Many officers have been hurt or killed during a routine traffic stop so don’t do anything to make them nervous by going into your glove compartment, even though you may know the drill already and are reaching for your insurance card and registration. The officer may think that you are reaching for a weapon.
If you’re ever pulled over by an unmarked vehicle and the “officer?is not in uniform, “you may request a uniformed officer to respond to the scene. Keep your windows up and your doors locked until you are satisfied that the officer is in fact a police officer,?says Sgt. Vance. You can also call 911 in this case as well.
Speaking with the officer
Don’t give the officer any back talk. In fact, it is recommended that you don’t speak at all. Let the officer speak first instead of asking the officer what you did or what’s their problem. Don’t insist they tell you what you did first before you hand over your liscense and vehicle registration either. When asked questions like: “Do you know why I stopped you??It is better to give a definitive answer. If they tell you what they think you did, don’t argue. Instead, shut up! You have that right and you don’t run the risk of saying something that will be used against you if you fight the ticket or get arrested.
Here’s something you may not have known: traffic cops are taught to decide before they leave their car whether they are going to give you a ticket or give you a warning. They are just acting like they care about your plight when they have already decided to ticket your butt. What they are really doing, while they seem interested in what excuse you are giving, is trying to see if they can get you to admit guilt. Sgt. Vance says the only reason an officer would change their mind is if you were speeding for a medical emergency or a woman was in labor.
Just say no! (well, only if you are positive)
If you are stopped and the officer asks to search your car, you have the right to say no. The officer has to have a reasonable suspicion you’ve done something wrong or are a danger to the public. So don’t give them a reason by bending down, or looking like you are hiding something when they are approaching your car.
They can only search your car without your permission:
?if they suspect you are hiding something.
?you or any occupants in the car have been arrested.
?if you have something illegal in plain view, such as open wine or beer bottles or drugs, or weapons of any kind.
If you are sure that you have nothing in the car then by all means allow the search. But if you share your car with someone then you may want to decline because who knows what they may be doing with the car without your knowledge.
ChaChanna Simpson is the editor and publisher of Twentity.com, a free advice ezine for twentysomethings.