Seeing the flashing lights behind you can be very scary, but every teenager will potentially have their first traffic stop. It’s important to know how to respond and react to getting pulled over.

When senior Madeline Lawrence first realized she was being pulled over she was scared. 

“My heart sank and I felt like my life was over,” Lawrence said. 

Once the realization hits that you’re getting pulled over, the most important thing to remember is to stay calm.

“The calmer you stay, the more you articulate you did something, the better chances you have of getting a warning in my opinion,” School Resource Officer Mark Long said. 

Find a safe spot to pull over. If it’s dark, consider finding a well lit area and turn on the interior lights in your car. Once you’ve done that, roll down your windows and keep your hands on the wheel. You want to make sure they’re visible to the officer at all times. 

Wait for the officer to come to you. They may come to either the driver’s or passenger’s side. If you have a passenger, do not let the passenger speak to the officer unless they are spoken to. It can become an issue if your passenger starts blabbering or yelling. It might agitate the officer and possible get you in more trouble 

The officer will approach your vehicle and ask you a few questions: “Do you know why I stopped you,” “Do you know the speed limit,” “Do you know how fast you were going,”. Honesty is the best policy. 

Be sure to provide all necessary information the officer may ask of you, more specifically, your driver’s license and insurance.

“I remember my hands shaking trying to get my license out of my wallet,” Lawrence said.

 If you do not have these items, explain why, and make note to put these things in your car or wallet so you’ll have them at all times when you are driving. 

If the officer has no other suspicions, you won’t have to get out of your car at all. You just wait for them to process all your information in their computer and come back to tell you whether you’re getting a warning or a ticket.

“Maybe the officer was on the fence about a warning or ticket and when they get people yelling at them, that shows they aren’t deserving of a warning,” Long said.

Respect goes a long way.

It’s important to remain calm and civil throughout the encounter, even if you feel that you are being treated unfairly.  If you have any concerns about the way you are being treated, you can follow up on that later.

“It’s nice to have a simple conversation with somebody. If you’re freaking out, that becomes a barrier to our communication,” Long said.

Remember, the key to a safe and successful traffic stop is to remain calm, follow the officer’s instructions, and communicate respectfully.