Inside the Officer's Mind

CNN had an interesting article earlier this month that took you inside the mind of the officer who pulled you over.  Reading this article can provide several helpful tips to making a traffic stop as painless as possible.  Many times, simply responding respectfully to the officer may resulting in a warning rather than a ticket.

The officer's chief concern in any traffic stop is his own safety.  This comes in two forms.  First, he'll look to stop you in an area that is safe for both him and your vehicle.  Second, he is concerned for any suspicious movements that you make inside the vehicle.  It's best to keep your hands on the wheel as he approaches and to inform the officer if you need to reach in a glovebox for your registration.

Reading over the article can help you to better understand the mind of a police officer and understand what risks they are undertaking when approaching your vehicle.  Knowing this, you may be able to turn your next traffic stop into a simple warning.