What
you're not thinking about right now is what will consume you completely
in a matter of seconds and will enrage you for weeks. While you were wrapped
up in your own little world, an officer on a motorcycle was camped between
a road sign and a couple of bushes, waiting to pounce on the next driver
going 45 mph in a 35-mph zone.
Now comes that heart-sinking feeling that only comes when flashing lights
in your rearview mirror bring your euphoria to a grinding halt. A day
at traffic school and a couple hundred dollars later leave you dejected
and wondering how you got caught and whether the cops are out to get you.
Regardless of how careful one is, everyone at one time or another gets
hammered with a traffic violation that seemingly came out of nowhere.
It's a horrible feeling, and one that can't always be avoided. There are,
however, a few important bits of information that might help you avoid
the time and financial burdens brought about by a moving violation.
It's important to remind you not to be mislead by the title and think
this is a mini damage-control guidebook for the negligent and reckless
driver. Most of us who violate traffic laws and get caught do so not out
of an intentional disregard for safety but rather from an understandable
lack of concentration. Consequently, just getting pulled over provides
most of us with enough of a scare to drive more cautiously and with more
of an awareness of signs and lights.
That being said, there are several tools that can be utilized to maximize
your chances of winning over a police officer once he or she has pulled
you over. These tools are outlined in a section of a book by former police
officer David Garcia, titled "Ways to Beat a Traffic Ticket." Garcia,
who specialized in complex traffic investigations and traffic enforcement,
provides insight into how to reduce the risk of being ticketed for future
violations.
According to Garcia, the primary reasons people speed include impatience,
rushing around or being late. The first thing to remember when stopped
is not to admit to being short on time, as your statement may be written
on the back of the officer's copy of the ticket and used against you in
court, if you decide to fight the violation later.
From the moment the red lights are turned on, Garcia said, your demeanor
can set the tone for the interaction with the officer and determine whether
or not a ticket is a foregone conclusion. Pulling over and stopping immediately
after the officer turns on his or her lights, stopping at a location that
appears to be relatively safe and keeping your hands visible are all obvious
yet vital tools to let the officer know immediately that you are trying
to give him or her the advantage. It is also important that you not reach
into the glove compartment or under the seat for a license or registration
until the officer asks you to do so. In addition, exiting the car is a
negative mood setting, regardless of how you may be feeling and what message
you are trying to get across. It generally makes the officer feel uneasy
and less in control of the situation, according to Garcia.
Although under these circumstances, the last thing you want to be is
pleasant, Garcia reminds you to smile at the officer to ease the tension
of the initial contact. Often you won't get a chance to say anything before
the officer starts writing the ticket, but if you do, jump on the opportunity
to engage in a pleasant conversation.
If you don't know why you were stopped, Garcia advises you ask the officer
why you were stopped and try to explain politely why you did what you
did. The officer may agree that your excuse is valid and that the violation
was unavoidable.
In the event you know you are guilty, the key, Garcia claims, is that
you stay positive and not change your attitude throughout the entire interaction.
On one hand, this might prompt the officer to cite for further violations
or conduct a thorough vehicle inspection, which may lead to equipment
violations. In addition, a bad attitude will increase the likelihood the
officer will remember you should you decide to contest the ticket in court.
The less the officer remembers, the less he or she will be able to testify
against you.
Whatever you do, do not lie or deny the obvious, but do avoid admitting
guilt.
Another thing people need to remember, according to the book, is that
refusing to sign the ticket does not pay. Technically speaking, a traffic
stop for a traffic violation is a legal arrest. If you refuse to sign
the ticket, you will be taken into custody and face the risk of having
your car towed and stored. There are better ways to beat the ticket, as
the tow charge alone probably will cost as much as the ticket itself.
Signing a ticket is merely a promise to appear in court, not an admission
of guilt.
Finally, people have long disputed whether quotas for police officers
are legal. While technically speaking, quotas are illegal, there are a
number of outside factors that can come into play and push you closer
to receiving a ticket, according to Garcia. For example, if you are stopped
by a traffic officer who has been slacking off and not writing enough
tickets, in the eyes of his supervisors, he or she probably is going to
write you up for any violation you may have committed. The odds for getting
a break under those circumstances are nil. Traffic officers are expected
to write tickets, and even though the "lazy officer" will write up the
most minor violation, it is still a violation.
Again, learning how to maximize your chances of keeping that citation
in the officer's pocket is neither a license to speed nor to drive like
a maniac. There is, however, value to gaining better insight into what
goes through an officer's mind and how others might interpret your actions.
Remaining in good spirits and keeping a smile on your face while parked
on the side of the road with a cop leaning through your window, I realize,
sounds about as impossible and unlikely to change your circumstances as
anything. Nevertheless, if an ex-cop tells you that putting on a fake
smile might save you hundreds of dollars and a court date, I say it's
worth a try.
