No, this article will not cover which fork to use when you go to your mother-in-law’s house for a Christmas meal. I’m certainly not Miss Manners, so I may not be able to offer you the best advice on table manners. However, as a traffic ticket attorney, I can tell you that I have met some clients who behave inappropriately when stopped and this behavior generally costs them a lot in court. First of all, if you misbehave, the cop is less likely to let you out with just a warning, and much more likely to look for other violations to add to the traffic ticket they are sure to write to you. Second, the more obnoxious or absurd your behavior, the more likely that you and that particular traffic stop will be embedded in the policeman’s mind for him to remember when he appears in court. Consequently, in addition to staying calm and courteous, there are a couple of things you can do to minimize the impact of the traffic stop.
When you initially realize that yes, it is YOU the officer has targeted, check how fast you are traveling and then slow down to the posted speed limit. (This information may be helpful to your traffic ticket attorney if you hire one to defend your ticket in court.) Another important tip is to make sure you don’t try to ignore it. He’s not going to leave just because you act like he’s not there and it may only serve to annoy him. Look casually and nod in his direction or give some other indication that you know he is there and that you intend to fulfill your wish to stop him. Use your turn signal to confirm that you intend to stop. This will not only put you at ease, but it will give you time to find an area where you can safely stop. There have been many times that I have seen drivers being stopped and often reacting in panic. They brake abruptly, try to cut through lanes of traffic, and pull off narrow shoulders to comply, without thinking about the risks these behaviors pose to themselves, other drivers, and the police officer stopping them. . The number of innocent drivers and police officers who are injured or killed each year due to this type of reaction is alarming.
Once you come to a safe stop, there are other things you need to consider to make sure the traffic stop goes as smoothly as possible. Park the car away from the road, turn off the engine, and keep both hands on the wheel. We all know that the police officer will ask for your license and registration, but now is not the time to get it back. You are aware that you are looking for these documents in the glove compartment, but as far as the police officer knows, you are a wanted felon and may be looking for a weapon to injure you or drugs to dispose of. Being a cop can be a dangerous job, so you don’t want to give him any more reason to be nervous.
When you are detained and have helped to make the officer more comfortable, then there is the question of how to address the police officer. You should greet him politely, but keep any other conversation to a minimum. Generally, the first thing they will ask you is if you know why they stopped you. Although you may have been driving at 90 mph or recklessly interrupting other drivers, you should always respond with a courteous “No sir.” It may seem rational to start apologizing or trying to explain your poor driving practices, but doing so will only prove your guilt. Such a response will make it virtually impossible to successfully defend your traffic ticket. It can be difficult to hold your tongue if the police officer is in the mood to read the riot act to you about how your actions put others in danger, but by failing to do so, you can further incite the officer. Once you have completed your invective and then give you a traffic ticket, be very careful when leaving the scene. Be sure to thank the officer, re-fasten your seat belt if you have removed it, use your turn signal to inform other drivers of your intention to re-enter traffic, and then exit slowly and cautiously. Squealing tires or kicking up dust as you drive away will most likely cause him to stop you again.
Like it or not, police officers have the right to issue speeding tickets, or any other type of traffic citation, if they believe that we have committed one or more traffic violations. However, drivers should remember that police officers also have the power of discretion, which means they can choose to let you out with a warning. The more cooperative and polite you are during a traffic stop, the better your chances of receiving a simple warning. This is especially true if the offense you are stopped for is minor, such as going a few miles over the speed limit. If this is the case, then this tip is especially important in helping traffic stop and go to your advantage.
If you are in the unfortunate position of having received a traffic ticket, regardless of how compliant you have been, give us a call at 954-967-9888 for a free consultation. Remember that the kinder and less memorable you have been during the traffic stop, the greater our chances that your traffic ticket will be reduced or even dismissed if we represent you in court.