No one wants to get pulled over, whether you’re blatantly breaking the law or unaware of your trespasses. In either regard, there are surefire ways to avoid the stress of those red and blue flashing lights in your rearview mirror. Fortunately for you, reader, I’m the queen of getting pulled over, and I’m here to share my advice. Before you face ticket fines and court appearances, take the time to review how not to get pulled over, part one in a two part series.
What kind of car are you driving?: According to Forbes.com, a common misconception is that a bold car color is more likely to get pulled over than a less dramatic hue. They’ve determined that the type of car you drive has more of an impact on your chances of facing the law. Sportier, “younger” looking cars are pulled over at a 4x higher rate than SUVs and minivans. Male drivers (sorry,) have worse luck, too. So be a girl and take out mom’s soccer mobile and you can avoid the headaches of dealing with the po-po. Or be me and drive an old gold grandma Chevy Malibu, your choice.
Know the hot-(fuzz)spots: Traveling the same way to work/school/errands every day, you should know where the cops hang out and wait for you to be caught speeding. Don’t speed around bends and hills on the highway or anywhere that you can’t see far ahead of you, like past bridges or tunnels; I’ve known a lot of state troopers to post-up in these spots. Keep your speed low enough over the limit not to be a nuisance; I’ve been told officers tend to leave you alone if you’re going only 15 m.p.h. over the posted limit. If you’re really running late, keep your eyes open for the good-samaritan opposing-traffic drivers flashing their lights. But if you’re pulled over speeding, be prepared to pay the price (a.k.a. hundreds of dollars and can't nobody afford that, no, not now.)
There’s an app for that: While some radar systems can stand alone, there are kinds you can link with your iPhone, (the equipment syncs with your cellular device and alerts you to cameras at stoplights, speed detecting radar, cop cars, etc.). There are also shady business kind of apps that are strictly on your iPhone and rely on other driver/passenger testimonial-- I can’t find much info on these because the internet is a shaaaaayyydayyyy place these days, but I’ve know people who’ve used these and ratings are varied. Can’t hurt to try though.
Keep your car in-check: You’re driving it--for your safety and that of other drivers, make sure brake lights (actually tail lights as a whole,) are fully-functioning, mirrors are intact and in position, tires are full of air, and nothing is dragging, like, say, your muffler. For one, broken car parts just scream suspect, and also, you need to keep a good visual of your environment. If your windows are tinted darker than the atlantic (well, the Jersey shore portion,) you’re not going know what’s going on. Same goes for the other senses; if you can’t hear the cop pulling you over because the volume your subs beating out of the trunk exceeds normal human capability, you probably could lower the volume. Think about what you look like from the outside looking in after you hit that McDonald’s drive-thru.
Don’t drive by the same cop twice: Unless you need their help, there’s no reason to pass a cop more than once. It’s suspect if you drive back and forth, just go where you gotta go and take a different way home.
This is pretty common sense stuff, but you’d be surprised how many people I know that could have avoided the annoyance of talking to police just by taking basic precautions and driving smart (including myself.) Join me next time for part two in the two part series: What to do Once You’ve Been Pulled Over.
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