Getting pulled over question

[E.Marquez]

Stay in the car, engine off, 4 ways on, front wheels turned to the full left, dome lights on, hands on the wheel, little to no movement inside the car, make eye contact with LEO as he comes to your window, and as soon as possible after his first instructions or before if he does not give them immediately tell him (her) your window does not roll down.

Maybe I just haven't been paying attention, but why wheels full to the left?

Seems like that would make for a faster gat away

Makes the car go in a predictable direction when it is hit from the rear while pulled over on the side of the road. Though, different departments teach full left or full right.

If turned left, it would get pushed into traffic
That is assuming your pulled off to the right.
I think I'll stick with somwhere between 0 and 90 degrees.

It's about the safety of the officer, not the motorist.

Im not a LEO,,, but from those I ride with (in their patrol car and on street bikes) it's done for everyones safety, traffic wise and tactically

[PappaGun]

Stay in the car, engine off, 4 ways on, front wheels turned to the full left, dome lights on, hands on the wheel, little to no movement inside the car, make eye contact with LEO as he comes to your window, and as soon as possible after his first instructions or before if he does not give them immediately tell him (her) your window does not roll down.

Maybe I just haven't been paying attention, but why wheels full to the left?

Seems like that would make for a faster gat away

Makes the car go in a predictable direction when it is hit from the rear while pulled over on the side of the road. Though, different departments teach full left or full right.

If turned left, it would get pushed into traffic
That is assuming your pulled off to the right.
I think I'll stick with somwhere between 0 and 90 degrees.

It's about the safety of the officer, not the motorist.

Wouldn't be the first time I'd be dense in my life, but...

If the officer is at my driver's side window, wheels left, car gets hit from behind, it goes in to him and traffic.

I understand why the LEO positions himself as he does.

I'm talking about the motorist.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it

[sugar land dave]

It's about the safety of the officer, not the motorist. There are probably more LEOs injured and killed by cars than guns.

Cars are a huge occupational hazard to officers. I think it is rather amazing how ofter motorists strike officers or their vehicles.

[WildBill]

It's about the safety of the officer, not the motorist. There are probably more LEOs injured and killed by cars than guns.

Cars are a huge occupational hazard to officers. I think it is rather amazing how ofter motorists strike officers or their vehicles.

That's my point. The motorist is in the car. If they were to get hit by another car I don't see what different it would make to them which way their wheels were pointed.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[tacticool]

Getting the window fixed before you get stopped will give you the best results.

If we're going with suggestions that don't answer the question they asked,

Not doing anything to get stopped is even better!

[sugar land dave]

It's about the safety of the officer, not the motorist. There are probably more LEOs injured and killed by cars than guns.

Cars are a huge occupational hazard to officers. I think it is rather amazing how ofter motorists strike officers or their vehicles.

That's my point. The motorist is in the car. If they were to get hit by another car I don't see what different it would make to them which way their wheels were pointed.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I think the wheels to the left or right thing MUST be for the LEO's vehicle. If it is struck first it will absorb much of the energy, and if the wheels are right or left , it will hopefully keep the officer and stopped car from being involved. That seems a little more logical to me.

[E.Marquez]

It's about the safety of the officer, not the motorist. There are probably more LEOs injured and killed by cars than guns.

Cars are a huge occupational hazard to officers. I think it is rather amazing how ofter motorists strike officers or their vehicles.

That's my point. The motorist is in the car. If they were to get hit by another car I don't see what different it would make to them which way their wheels were pointed.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I think the wheels to the left or right thing MUST be for the LEO's vehicle. If it is struck first it will absorb much of the energy, and if the wheels are right or left , it will hopefully keep the officer and stopped car from being involved. That seems a little more logical to me.

Perhaps a LEO will chime in.. What I know is my friends who are LEOS in two different departments local to me, said it's nice to have it done by those they stop, and I've been thanked (ok, less thanks, then noted with acknowledgement for doing so) once by an officer who pulled my over for a license plate light out)
In the great words of a fellow lister.. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

[MasterOfNone]

Why don't you just get your window fixed?

There are others reasons that could lead to the OP's question. The window could be iced shut from bad weather.

[03Lightningrocks]

If your just set on turning your wheels one way or the other, common sense dictates one would turn the wheels to the right. If a car smacks the back of the vehicle, getting shot into traffic would really be bad. Not to mention the damage to the officer as your car runs over him on the way out into traffic. I usually just park and leave the wheels pointed forward.

To answer the OP... I would open the door and tell him the darned window just quit working. It is like the question about when it was your address changed. Couple weeks back is usually the best answer. If he wants me to close the door he will tell me. Otherwise, I have to use sign language or scream real loud to tell him why I won't roll down the window. Funny thing I just thought of. When I use to travel the open road, State Troopers seemed to like making me sit in the passengers seat while they ran my license. We would chat about this and that. I would try to worm my way out of the ticket... rarely with success. City cops have never ask me to sit in the front with them. Point is, I have not experienced any "testy" cops. If I was cool... they were cool. I did cause a Richardson cop to put his hand on his gun. I was walking toward him griping about getting pulled over. I wasn't thinking about him getting scared. Dumb move. I immediately stopped and said sorry and got back into my truck.

[gigag04]

State Troopers seemed to like making me sit in the passengers seat while they ran my license

I've seen this too....and it is inexcusably poor officer safety.

Regarding vehicle/wheel position, here is a bit of the why:

Patrol vehicle, lined up offset left of the violator vehicle, slightly angled left, wheels canted left. This gives us a protected lane of approach (patrol car blocks traffic). It also maximizes the limited cover a CV can provide (engine block...wheels). The car is in park (most of the time....) so if it is hit, most of the energy will be absorbed by sliding the locked wheels/axles. When the tires do finally catch, they are angled left so as to not hit officer/violator - sometimes they are both standing off the front right corner of the patrol vehicle. Sure it may send the patrol vehicle into traffic, but thats a best case outcome for the worst case scenario. There are some other tactical considerations but I have to keep at least something about traffic stops secret

Violator vehicle can face either way, but since there is a distinct possibility of still being in the car, I would cant my wheels right or straight.

RE: stuck window...I prefer people don't open their doors without telling me. I've done the sign language - broken window thing, and it is not too hard to decipher. I have also had people open the door, pitch dope, and take off running. So, as we're pulling over, if that door opens before I'm at the car, I fly up ready to either chase or fight. Might be different when dealing w/ a troop, or county LE, but most city cops I know identify with this reaction.

Another great thing to do, is find a wide safe area for the stop to be conducted. I've had people instantly stop in the middle of a busy roadway...

[flintknapper]

State Troopers seemed to like making me sit in the passengers seat while they ran my license

Another great thing to do, is find a wide safe area for the stop to be conducted. I've had people instantly stop in the middle of a busy roadway...

Thats because you lit them up in the middle of a busy road.

Most citizens want to stop ASAP...to avoid looking like they are ignoring LEO, though I agree...a modicum of common sense calls for stopping at the safest place available (nearby).

[Scott in Houston]

State Troopers seemed to like making me sit in the passengers seat while they ran my license

Another great thing to do, is find a wide safe area for the stop to be conducted. I've had people instantly stop in the middle of a busy roadway...

Thats because you lit them up in the middle of a busy road.

Most citizens want to stop ASAP...to avoid looking like they are ignoring LEO, though I agree...a modicum of common sense calls for stopping at the safest place available (nearby).

I still look for large, open spots, BUT, I've been chastised for it. Once on the way to IAH, I "allegedly" ran a stop light. He pulls behind me, and if you guys know that road, there's no shoulder so I slowed and drove slowly until there was a service road to pull off on. The office then yelled at me for quite a while for not pulling over immediately. I told him I was doing it for his safety, and he then says, "Let me worry about my safety and you worry about yours." What a jerk.

[jmra]

Why don't you just get your window fixed?

There are others reasons that could lead to the OP's question. The window could be iced shut from bad weather.

Yes there could be other reasons but I find that the most obvious is usually the one.

[flintknapper]

State Troopers seemed to like making me sit in the passengers seat while they ran my license

Another great thing to do, is find a wide safe area for the stop to be conducted. I've had people instantly stop in the middle of a busy roadway...

Thats because you lit them up in the middle of a busy road.

Most citizens want to stop ASAP...to avoid looking like they are ignoring LEO, though I agree...a modicum of common sense calls for stopping at the safest place available (nearby).

I still look for large, open spots, BUT, I've been chastised for it. Once on the way to IAH, I "allegedly" ran a stop light. He pulls behind me, and if you guys know that road, there's no shoulder so I slowed and drove slowly until there was a service road to pull off on. The office then yelled at me for quite a while for not pulling over immediately. I told him I was doing it for his safety, and he then says, "Let me worry about my safety and you worry about yours." What a jerk.

^^^^^^^^^

Thats what I'm talkin'..... 'bout.


Can't win..sometimes.

[wconn33]

Sorry im not killing my engine and sitting in a hot vehicle for a routine traffic stop. I dont know what the law is but I know I dont like being told to exit my vehicle for a 6-10 mph speeding vilation, just do not see the justification for it. I am safer inside my vehicle than out of it.