If you are pulled over by police, it’s very important to understand how to approach the situation and how to communicate with the officers. Below are a few tips that may help.
1. Stay calm
First of all, try to stay calm and avoid making any accusations, even if you believe that the traffic stop, shouldn’t have happened or that the police are making a mistake. Arguing with the officer is not the way to get out of the stop, and you want to keep the emotional level as low as possible.
2. Follow instructions.
The officer is going to give you some instructions, such as asking for your license and identification or telling you to get out of the car. Make sure that you follow these instructions as quickly as you can, and refrain from doing anything that you’re not instructed to do. For example, just roll the window down to talk to the officer, but don’t get out unless they ask you to do so.
3. Ask for clarification.
If you’re really not sure why you’ve been pulled over, it can be useful simply to ask the officer what’s going on. They may be able to give you a simple answer or they can explain their reasoning. Having a polite conversation about what is taking place is much more effective than anything else.
Even if you do all of this, you can certainly still be arrested, and that’s when you need to know about all the legal defense options at your disposal.