Frederick County Traffic Stops
Frederick County traffic stops can be overwhelming, especially if you are not used to interacting with law enforcement. It is important to know how to conduct yourself and ensure that you are interacting with law enforcement in a way that is okay. An experienced traffic attorney could help you do so by walking you through the procedure of a traffic stop. If you receive a ticket, your lawyer could also challenge the ticket and defend you.
Mistakes to Avoid During a Traffic Stop
Mistakes to avoid during Frederick County traffic stops include:
- Not stopping in a timely manner
- Being rude to the police
- Having music blaring
- Being combative
- Speaking excessively and answering questions unnecessarily
How a Traffic Stop Begins
In the beginning phases, the officer will have the lights on, perhaps not the siren, but the lights will be on to indicate that the car needs to pull over to the side of the road in a safe and polite manner to then have the officer to be able to engage with the driver.
What Drivers Should Do When They Hear Sirens
Once a driver hears sirens or sees patrol lights in their rearview mirror, they should pull over in a location which would not impact the other drivers on the road and in a place that will be safe for them to pull over as well. Do not increase speed or do anything like that. Pull over to the side of the next safest place that does not impact the flow of traffic.
If there is no safe place to pull over, the drivers should not accelerate and should put on their signal so at least that officer would know that there is the intention to slow down and to pull over to the side of the road. A driver could even put on a hazard so that other cars do not follow too closely behind and the person does not get thrown off.
Protocol When an Officer Approaches
The driver should ensure that when the apprehending officer comes to the car, the driver does not make any sudden movements or anything of that nature. They should have their license out and their registration, and all the information ready to go so that the person does not have to do anything when the officer gets there.
A driver’s hands should be completely visible, on the steering wheel, on the dashboard or somewhere where the officer can actually see them. If the officer requests for the person to be out of the vehicle. They should not be making fast movements and getting out of that car if there is a police officer behind the car.
Once the officer begins talking to them, the driver should try to limit saying anything that is going to be incriminating. The goal is to be as respectful as possible, get in and out of the car, and do what needs to be done. The driver should not say anything that is not pertinent to the case.
Conditions of the Car
The driver should avoid having their music blaring, not putting the car in park and/or turning the car completely off, or anything that is not that common. People should act in a respectful manner during that car stop.
What Happens After Someone’s Been Stopped?
Drivers should have their license and registration out during Frederick County traffic stops. The officer may ask questions depending on what is going on. The officer may tell the person that they should be aware of their speed, and make the person aware that they ran across a red light, for instance. They can make questions and records as to why the officer has pulled the person over.
Drivers are not required to answer a police officer’s questions but it is not beneficial to answer the questions. A person could say nothing at all. A person can refuse to speak and can even refuse to go into their wallet to get out their license. However, that could lead to other consequences or a potential escalation of the interaction.
After the driver has given the officer their license and registration, the driver must wait for the officer to either go back to their car if they are using an electronic system to write the ticket, or they will write the ticket right there. Once the officer writes the ticket, they give it to the person and that is typically how Frederick County traffic stops end.