The Traffic Ticket Guru

Do's and Don'ts For a Traffic Stop There are many things that people do at a traffic stop, some are good and some are bad. These are good guidelines to use if you ever get stopped (hopefully you don't!!). 1. Be Polite. There are multiple reasons why.... a) They are just doing their job. Just like you, no one appreciates being yelled at. This is part of what they were hired to do. Even if they are in the wrong, it is an honest mistake on their part. In all my years I have never met an officer who went out and was knowingly handing out bad tickets. I am sure there are stories but please just be nice. b) If you are rude, they make better notes and will have a much better memory of you later. We don't want them to remember you. c) They may give you a break. Being a jerk to an officer is just begging to be written up. Being nice gives you a far greater chance that they may just give you a lecture and no ticket. 2. Be as non-memorable as possible. This goes back to 1.b), but basically only answer their questions and do not say anything else. If there is a huge emergency then tell them, but also expect a lecture and likely a ticket anyways. The more you say, the more that those statements can be used in court against you. 3. Do not admit guilt. The officer will likely ask if you know why you were stopped. This is being said to you in hopes that you will make a "voluntary statement" that can be used in court against you. It can always be argued in court later to try to get the admittance thrown out, but just politely respond that you don't know why you were stopped. Let them explain it to you. 4. Have your documents in your car, and easily accessible. If they are not there, the officer could give you additional tickets for Failing to Produce your licence, registration, or insurance. At $233 each, thats a lot of money to have to pay. 5. If you have to reach for your documents, ask for permission so the officer knows what you are doing and the situation does not escalate. 6. Stay in your car. Getting out instantly increases the potential threat level, to you and to the officer. People have died over those types of situations. The goal is for everyone to leave safely. 7. Once the ticket has been issued, ask the officer if it is ok for you to leave. Once you have permission, shoulder check and signal to make sure you get back in to traffic safely. Do Not Squeal Your Tires!! Doing this gets you another ticket and has the officer making better notes. I am sure there are more things to add, but basically we want the situation to go smoothly for all people involved and we don't want to be remembered or have good notes taken. The less that is written the better the chances we have in court.

Part of my job as someone who defends people in court is to also educate them so that we can all become better drivers on the road. On this page I will be posting narratives about things that you may not know, and also things to do and not to do if you get in an accident or get a ticket. Check back frequently for new info as we will be posting something new every week.