proper procedure?

Question

my daughter is learning to drive, if you are being pulled over for a traffic stop, what is the proper procedure if you dont feel comfortable in the area you're being stopped? ie. a dark deserted road or busy road with no break-down lane.

Answer 1

As a long time police officer, I have had several people drive to public places before stopping due to safety concerns. Here are my recommendations .

(1) Turn on your dome light and turn on your emergency flashers. Wave or otherwise signal to the officer that you realize that he/she is trying to pull you over.

(2) If you have a cell phone, make a call to the local agency dispatch (or 911 if you are in an unfamiliar area) and advise them that you are being pulled over but want to drive to a safe, public place before stopping. Dispatch can then advise the officer so they now what is going on.

(3) Proceed to the nearest public place or place of safety and immediately stop. Obey all laws as you do. Understand that the officer may think you are trying to eluse him/her and you want to do everything you can to ensure that they understand what you are doing.

Once you stop, place your hands on the steering wheel and explain to the officer that you were going to a public place to ensure your safety. I have never had a problem with this and don't expect that any reasonable officer would.

However, Calfiornia law does not provide a specific exclusion from the law when it comes to not yielding to a marked police vehicle. There is the possibility that failing to stop immediately (or as soon as practicle) could result in charges above the original violation. The likelihood of this increases with the distance you choose to drive before stopping. If this happens, take your case to court and explain the situation to the judge. It is likely that additional charges would be dismissed.

Answer 2

How are you supposed to know if it is a traffic stop or if the officer just wants to get by your vehicle? The law states that you should immediately pull to the right and stop when you see the lights on the cruiser behind you (and in Ontario coming toward you on a two lane highway). Police officers will usually pick a good spot prior to putting on the lights so that the driver has somewhere to pull over. Unless she has doubts that the person stopping her is a police officer she should pull over immediately. If she believes the car behind her is not a police car then she should put hazard lights on, drive very slowly until she reaches a populated place before stopping. I wouldn't hurt to have a cell phone to call 911 to try to confirm it is a police officer. It is okay to pull onto a side street out of the flow of traffic, or to move ahead a little until you are in better lighting.

Answer 3

That's a tough question. Your daughter must seriously consider that her "failure to yield" shortly after seeing the lights and perhaps the siren will concern the officer and will likely make him/her suspicious. Criminals will often use this tactic to do a number of things, such as hiding drugs or weapons, or gaining access to a weapon. Or maybe looking for the right place to stop and flee on foot, or "rabbit". My suggestion is for her to stop at the earliest available opportunity. Most experienced officers are not going to try a traffic stop in a dangerous location. They're not really concerned about the violator's safety as much as their own. There seems to be some suggestion in your question that your daughter would perhaps not be convinced she was actually being stopped by a real cop. She needs to weigh her fear about this versus having a suspicious and likely angry officer approaching her car because she wouldn't yield quickly enough. When I worked in the L.A. basin, a driver who did not pull over at night quickly enough usually had a cop approach with his/her gun withdrawn from their holster and ready for anything, at least in the jurisdiction I worked. Most of the time the driver never even realized it. The bottom line, I guess, is that your daughter needs to do what she thinks is right for her own welfare, such as continuing to drive to a well-lit or safe place to pull over and suffer the consequences of the more than likely "real" cop who will contact her.

Answer 4

Turn on your hazards and wave the officer down (left hand outside driver's window) and make them realize you are complying with the officer but will pull over in a safer area. Also, if you feel too uncomfortable, call the nearest precinct, or even 911 if there's a ways to go. Once you do, tell the officer why you did that. Tell them you felt uncomfortable and it was for the benefit of both of you. DO NOT AT ANY TIME MAKE A SUDDEN ACCELERATION! If this goes to court, the judge will be lenient on why you made your decision...just be polite.

Answer 5

First of all, if she is being stopped by an unmarked vehicle, then tell her to drive to a public parking lot and to never stop in a dark secluded area. No officer should ever have a problem with that. If she is being stopped by a marked unit then it is best to pull over as soon as possible where safe.

Answer 6

As I remember it from driver's ed, the procedure is
(1) signal your acknowledgement of the police officer's command by flashing your lights, if possible, and reducing speed
(2) find the nearest place that you do feel comfortable and turn off.

Answer 7

Slow down and turn you hazards on. Any seasoned legitimate officer will understand what you are doing.

And, yes, men can do this as well.