Where and How to Safely Pull Over When Flagged by a Cop
Photo: J Brew
No one likes getting pulled over by a cop. Whether it’s for driving over the speed limit, or for a blown-out tail light, here’s how to pull over the safe way.
Acknowledge the officer
Turn on your emergency flashers to notify the police officer that you’ve seen their lights and plan to pull over. This is especially important if you have to drive a bit further down the road to find a safe spot to park. If you fail to give a signal to a cop, that you accept being pulled over, they might think you’re trying to blatantly ignore their authority.
Safe areas to pull over
Depending on which area of the road you’re driving in when you see the flashing lights on the police car, you might need to keep on driving a bit longer until you come to a safe place to do so. Brett and Kate McKay, with The Art of Manliness, advise keeping a “safety first” mentality when you detect that a police officer is pulling you over. Stay calm, then look for an area of road ahead that has a wide shoulder, to minimize the danger of passing traffic. If you’re driving in a non-highway region, a well-lit side street or parking lot are two other safe places for pulling over.
Pull over slowly
Whichever safe place you pull your vehicle over in, do so slowly. This will help communicate to the cop that you’re not trying to speed away and avoid a ticket. Slow travel speed also will help prevent an impact if you have to travel over multiple lanes to get to the shoulder of the road.
News Source: The Art of Manliness
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