What to do When You Get Pulled Over
May 29, 2015
How many people actually know what to do when they get pulled over? I know I don’t. Hearing those sirens and seeing the flashing lights is one of the scariest things for any driver to see coming up behind them. There is always that initial panic that sets in when you grip the steering wheel a little tighter, and you check to make sure you are doing absolutely everything right.
Questions begin to whirl through someone’s mind. Do I have my license? What’s the registration look like? Do I have it? Few teenage drivers know what to do when they get pulled over because they have luckily never encountered that kind of situation.
Senior Starr Faster was sadly not as lucky, as she has been pulled over once before. But now she has some advice for those who find themselves in the same predicament.
“Always be honest if you know you did something wrong, like speeding or texting,” said Faster.
In this case, honesty really is the best policy.
Another member of the senior class who has been pulled over is Alex Rohrbaugh. The advice he had was more on how to act towards the officer.
“Act respectful, and do not move around until the officer comes to your window,” said Rohrbaugh.
A big problem people find themselves in is the police officer gets mad because they begin to move around before the cop can see them.
Drivers Education teacher Doug Truscott shared a story about how he has been pulled over three times, and the only time he ever got a ticket was when he began to look for his wallet before the officer told him to. It put the officer on edge, and he wasn’t as friendly as he may have been otherwise.
Truscott is an experienced driver’s education teacher, and he has told students a numerous amount of times what to do and what not to do when being pulled over.
“As soon as you get pulled over, you need to remain calm and keep your hands on the steering wheel and wait for the officer’s instructions,” said Truscott.
After the cop comes to the window, he will ask you a series of question. Be ready to respond with where are you going, your license and registration, and why the officer pulled you over.
The three main things Truscott tells his students not to do are: bribe the officer, touch the officer or get in a shouting match with them. Remember that they are only the ones who enforce the laws; they don’t make them.
If you’re pulled over, follow this advice. But just to be safe, follow all traffic rules, and you won’t get pulled over.
