What to Expect at a Norfolk Speeding Traffic Stop

When you see a police car in your rear-view mirror flashing lights at you, the first thing any Norfolk speeding ticket lawyer will recommend you do is immediately begin looking for a safe place to pull over. If there is no shoulder, then you should take the first exit and find somewhere else to pull over or you could keep on driving until there is another area for you to stop safely. If it’s not safe for you to pull over right away, then you should signal the officer by putting on your hazard lights and then continue looking for a safe place to pull over. One of the last things you want in this situation is for the officer to think that you are ignoring them or trying to evade them.

After Pulling Over

Once pulled over by police it is usually best to leave your vehicle running and roll down your window at least enough to be able to speak to the officer and pass documents back and forth.

You should also keep your hands where the officers can see them at all times, preferably on the steering wheel. When the officer approaches your vehicle, they’ll generally ask you a few questions about how fast you were going and similar topics. The best thing to do is to answer as few questions as possible and not give any excuses or explanations for anything. For example, if they are asking you why you are driving that fast, you can say you would rather not talk about the incident, but you want to comply with anything to expedite the stop. 

It is better not to ask the officer any questions. Anything that you want to object to or argue about is better left to your lawyer in the courtroom, absolutely do not exit the vehicle. You should always remain inside your vehicle unless the officer specifically tells you to step out of your vehicle.

Being Pulled Over at Night

If you is pulled over at night, the only thing that changes is what might be considered a safe place. In the dark, a large shoulder isn’t as safe as it would be during the daytime, because it’s harder for other vehicles to see a vehicle that’s pulled over at the side of the road in the dark. If it’s nighttime, you should do the same exact thing as in the day, but with a different view of what would be safe.

Generally, people are concerned at night also for their own safety and they worry about being pulled over by officers who aren’t legitimate. If this is the situation, you should go somewhere that’s a little bit more populated and well lit, such as a gas station.

Once pulled over it may also be helpful to turn on the interior light of your car. That way, the officer can see that you’re willing to comply, you’re not trying to hide anything, and he’s not going to be as nervous about what you may be thinking about doing during the traffic stop.

Giving the Officer Your Insurance, License, and Registration

After the officer takes your license and registration back to the police vehicle the officer will run your information through the system to see if there are any outstanding warrants. At this point they will decide whether they are going to issue you a ticket for whatever you were pulled over for. During this process, you should stay inside your car and wait for them to come back and the officer will either let you off with a warning, or give you a ticket and send you on your way.

Being Pulled Over By An Unmarked Vehicle

Under these circumstances you may ask to see a badge, but that serves no purpose unless you know exactly what a police badge is supposed to look like. The better option is to call the non-emergency police line and ask them if there is a police vehicle in that area that has pulled you over. If there isn’t, then they will send a police vehicle right away. If there is, then you know that you are safely able to continue forward and stop without concern.

Biggest Mistakes to Avoid During a Traffic Stop

The biggest mistakes to avoid are admitting to anything related to why you were pulled over. You don’t want to give the officer any more evidence to back pulling you over than they already have. You don’t want to argue with the officer or do anything to make them angry. It’s best to sit tight, let the officer do his job, and be on your way. You don’t want to do anything that’s going to make the officer believe that his own safety is an issue, so you should stay still, and not fidget.