Six Things To Never Say To A Police Officer During A Traffic Stop

Your chances of talking your way out of a traffic ticket are slim – but it’s not uncommon for a driver to talk themselves INTO one by insulting the officer or annoying them enough to write a ticket when they might have otherwise let them off with a warning. Here are the things NOT to say:

1. “Whatever…” This disrespectful remark will almost always insult the officer and land you with a ticket. Same goes for rolling your eyes, arguing or making profane remarks.
2. “I didn’t run that light!” or other denials of wrong doing. If you did something wrong, admit it; you’re more likely to be given a warning. Of course, if you truly didn’t feel like you did what the officer claimed, don’t say you did something wrong just to agree with the officer.
3. “I know the mayor.” Never pull a power play like this on an officer. They aren’t afraid of who you’re friends with if you broke the law. Remember, they’re doing their job by stopping you.
4. “I’m calling my lawyer.” Again, this won’t threaten the police officer because they deal with lawyers all the time. Threatening an officer with your attorney is a no-win situation for you.
5. “I’m on my way to the DMV/hospital.” If you were pulled over because of an expired ticket, don’t use this line. Cops hear it all the time. “But officer, I was just on my way to the inspection station…” And unless you are truly sick or injured and there’s a real emergency, don’t lie and make it sound as though you were responding to an emergency. Again, officers hear this all the time.
6. “But everyone else was driving 90!” That doesn’t mean it’s okay or lawful. A police officer won’t let you off simply because everyone else is doing the same thing.