How to Avoid Traffic Tickets

Of course the easiest way to avoid traffic tickets is never break the law. But let's face it, at some point everybody overlooks something at some point. While you should be ever vigilant you should also know what to do if you do see the flashing lights in your rear view mirror. The simple actions in this article can make the difference between a warning and a ticket.

Pay attention to the back of your car

The back of your car will give your first impression to the police officer. You don't want anything that will ring the alarm bells for the police officer.

Make sure you have a license plate and it is clearly visible. Make sure it is not obscured by a frame or even dirt. It may seem minor to you but it could appear to be an attempt to hide a stolen vehicle

Don't have bumper stickers that send a bad message like you know you break the law and don't care, or that you may be dangerous. Examples of stupid bumper stickers that come to mind include:

"Can't drive 55"

"You can have my gun, bullets first"

"Keep honking, I'm reloading"

"I'm not speeding, I'm Qualifying"

"Bad cop! No donut for you!"

"Don't drink and drive, you might spill your drink"

If you have bumper stickers like these, plan to get plenty of traffic tickets.

You should also pass on those "Police Association" stickers. All they tell a police officer is that you know you get pulled over so many times that you felt you had to go out and pay big bucks for a sticker in the hopes that it will help you avoid a ticket.

Stop in a Safe Place

The first step in avoiding a traffic ticket is to pull over in a safe place. You want to get as far away from traffic as possible but you also don't want to look like your hiding. You also want to stop in a reasonably short amount of time.

When you first see the lights flashing pull over to the right and slow down. If you're lucky he won't be after you and will just pass you by. If he is after you, then he will stay behind you so start looking for a good spot. If it is dark, turn on your dome light. You always want to make sure it is clear that you are intending to pull over but are trying to find a safe spot. You shouldn't take more than a minute or two to pull over.

The best place would be a parking lot which will give you plenty of room and is well out of traffic. Ideally it will be well lit and visible from the street. The last thing you want to do is pull into a dark corner hidden by several buildings which would scream danger.

Sometimes all that will be readily available will be the shoulder. If this is the case pull as far over as possible allowing as much room between your window and the lanes of traffic. The more room he has to stand and talk to you the more comfortable he will feel which increases your chances of avoiding a ticket.

Stay in the car and keep your hands visible

Once you find a safe place to stop, roll down your window, turn off your engine, place your hands on the steering wheel, look forward and wait. This approach lets him clearly see your hands so he knows you aren't going to pull a gun, the engine is off so he knows you aren't going to run, and you aren't watching him so it is less likely that you are going to ambush him.

Here are a few things not to do

Don't dig for your license and insurance, it may look like your going for a gun.

Don't jump out of the car to meet him. First he has to worry about you attacking him and then he has to worry about your safety as you wander the side of the road.

Don't leave the engine running while you watch him approach, it may appear that you are going to run when he gets close enough.

Let him talk and wait your turn

The police officer will just about always introduce himself, tell you why he pulled you over, ask you for your license and insurance, and then give you a chance to talk. Keep in mind that this is not a courtroom; it is not time to argue or beg. I usually take the simple "yeah you got me" approach. More often than not they will ask something like "is their any particular reason you were driving that fast?" I usually respond with "not really, just being stupid I guess." It usually gets a laugh and lightens the mood some.

If you do get a ticket, make sure you take care of it correctly

The last thing you want to do is not take care of the ticket at all which will ultimately mean all sorts of nasty things like getting arrested or losing your license. But don't just pay the ticket, do whatever you can to make sure the ticket does not get on your records. Most jurisdictions have some sort of options like driving courses, probation, etc. as alternatives to having the ticket appear on your record.

If it does make it to your record you can naturally expect higher insurance premiums but it may make you more likely to get a ticket. Why? Well if you get pulled over and the officer pulls your driving record and if it's full of other tickets he's going to see a trend and will be much more likely to write another ticket.