Things To Do When Pulled Over By a Cop in Traffic!
Who doesn’t hate getting pulled over by cops? It makes your heart jump into your throat and your palms start sweating like crazy! No one can possibly enjoy that feeling!
To help you become a much better, safer and more responsible driver, we have come up with the proper technique for over-taking another car on the highway. Here it is.
Make the Pass After Signaling
When you are over-taking another car, the proper protocol suggests that you know the other car that you are about to over-take them, so that they don’t change their line at the last second and cause an accident. You should never try to over-take another car from their blind spot, since this enhances the likelihood of causing an accident. When you are overtaking, signal the driver properly to let them know that you are about to pass them, and ensure that you look in your rearview mirror to see if another car is not in your blind spot. To make the pass, you should drive not more than 10 mph faster than the car in front of you to ensure that you don’t cause an accident.
Visualize the Move Before Over-Taking
Once you are ready to over-take the car in front of you after signaling them, you should visualize the move once before completing the over-taking maneuver. This will allow you to anticipate the move of the driver in front of you and the driver behind you as well. You should be aware of the amount of room that is available for a successful over-taking move and ensure that you give plenty of room for error to avoid a collision.
Do not start searching for your documents, as this will only make the officer suspect you more. The officer might assume you are reaching for a gun instead of your documents. Hence, only reach for them once you are asked to.
Officer First
Do not speak unless spoken to! Wait for the officer to approach and initiate speaking to you. Do not ask him why he has stopped you, nor say anything unless absolutely necessary. Try to answer his questions with a simple yes or no. The officer will write down the entire account into his notepad and these notes can be used against you in the court. You should try to be polite at all times, as courtesy can get you out of tickets as much as nothing else can.
You have a Right to Refuse
An officer is not allowed to search your car unless and until you give him a chance to do so. There are a few cases in which he is allowed to ask you to step out and search your vehicle and/or frisk you.
These cases include:
- A police officer might search your car if you grant him the permission to do so.
- If an officer has, in his plain view, a reason to search your car. These reasons might include any suspicious or illegal object in the plain view of the officer, inside your car.
- If you are being arrested, the officer can search your car.
- Your car can be searched if you are a suspect in any crime or if you have suspicious objects in your car at the moment.
- Lastly, if the cop suspects you have hidden evidence that will be destroyed if he doesn’t search your vehicle, he is allowed to do so by the law.
