Traffic - What to do on a traffic stop
You're driving in your car and suddenly you see in your rear view mirror, the emergency lights of a police car directly behind you. Your heart starts to beat faster and that nervous feeling sweeps through your body. Your hands start to sweat and your mind goes into high-gear, thinking about what you may have done wrong. Maybe, you should have watched your speed a little closer, or you should have stopped completely at that stop sign. Whatever the reason- what do you do now?
The law requires that you safely and immediately move to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right-hand edge or curb of the highway, clear of any intersection (41-6-76). I would also suggest that you immediately move to an area that will be as safe as possible for both you and the officer. For example, if you're on the St. George Boulevard and you're getting stopped by an officer, you might make a right hand turn off the Boulevard and pull over so that you're not blocking the outside lane on that busy street. I've made many stops on the Boulevard and I've had people stop right there. I've made my approach and asked them to move to a safer and less obstructive position off the Boulevard. The response may be different for an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or fire truck. The best thing is to immediately (and safely) pull over and come to a complete stop until the emergency vehicle has passed. Everybody cannot obviously pull off a busy street. Use good judgment.
Once you've stopped, the officer will position his/her car in such a manner as to create a lane of safety as the officer makes the approach. This means that the officer will park the police car out more into the lane so that if an inattentive motorist should strike anything, it would be the police car rather than the officer. Please, stay in your vehicle. Do not leave your vehicle or the officer will direct you back inside. As the officer approaches, please keep both of your hands on the steering wheel. This is an officer safety issue. Also, ask any passengers you may have to keep their hands visible. Please do not be reaching for things until the officer asks for your driver's license, registration, and insurance information. Things go much smoother if you've given this some fore-thought and have these items in an easily accessible place and you can produce them quickly. You are being legally detained and you should follow any lawful directions given by the officer, usually for safety's sake.
The law also requires motorists passing an emergency vehicle to slow down and provide as much space as practical and even change lanes if it can be done safely.
At the officer's discretion you'll receive either a warning or a citation. When the contact is over, carefully and safely, continue on to your destination. No one enjoys being pulled over. You can avoid this by operating within the law. But, if it happens someday, you will be prepared. Stay safe - we really do care about you.
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