Safety when You Have Been Pulled Over by a Police Officer

You're driving down the interstate at midnight with few other cars around and you look up and notice blue lights behind you. What do you do? For the majority of us, you immediately panic, your heart starts beating faster and you pull over thinking you have done something illegal. Right?

In most circumstances, you will be pulled over by an actual police officer, sheriff or state tropper. However, there have been instances where a convict tries to resemble the authority and pulls drivers over. Usually, the convict is seeking women who are driving alone at night or in an area that is not heavily traveled. They may steal an actual police car or use their own car as an "unmarked" vehicle. Blue lights are installed in the car or on top of the car to resemble an actual law officer's vehicle.

While police officers do recommend safely pulling over immediately if you see blue flashing lights or hear a siren behind you, if you do not feel comfortable doing so there are measures you can take. You should NOT avoid the officer, speed up, try to "lose" the officer or do anything that could warrant an arrest for fleeing from an officer or resisting arrest. If you are on a well traveled road, it is perfectly fine to pull over, lock your car door and crack your window. Check to make sure the officer seems legitimate and ask if you can pull into a gas station where others are at. The only problem with this is that if it really is a "bad guy", they may have a gun and a locked car door or cracked window will do you no good. If you have been pulled over at night, are driving in a low traveled area or are genuinely scared for your safety, turn your flashers on, slow down and proceed to the nearest gas station or public area. You can also dial 911 on your cell phone to connect with emergency services. Let the operator know that you are being followed and pulled by an officer and don't feel comfortable stopping where you are. The emergency dispatcher can contact the officer and communicate your concerns with them. Also, if the officer pulling you over is phony, that can be revealed during this call.

In this day of age, every safety measure is smart. As long as you are not eluding the officer and you are making an effort to safely pull over, you can not get into further trouble for taking your safety into consideration.