Tips for Traffic Stops

Uh-oh, it happened. You see red and blue flashing lights in your vehicle mirrors and hear the familiar tone of a police siren. You’re getting pulled over. What should you do?

The answer may be different from what you were taught or your personal experience. University Apartments is a diverse community with residents from across the country and around the world. How police expect drivers to act during ‘traffic stops’ can vary significantly in different countries, states, or even city to city. To help inform drivers of our expectations, UWPD created a pamphlet provided to drivers at every traffic stop.

Here are some of the most common questions I encounter related to police traffic stops.

What should I do if I’m stopped by a police officer?

If you’re driving a motor vehicle and an officer signals you to stop, you are required by law to pull over and stop.

Stay in your vehicle – if it’s dark, turn on the interior light. Don’t exit your vehicle unless directed to do so by the officer. Relax and don’t make sudden movements or reach for items inside your vehicle which could be construed by an officer as a potential threat to their safety.

Keep your hands on the steering wheel and instruct any passengers to also have their hands visible. Wait for the officer to approach your vehicle – the officer will identify themselves and say they work for a police department.

A UWPD officer will always inform you of the reason why you were stopped. The officer will then ask you for your driver’s license. If you don’t have your license with you, verbal identification will be requested. Please provide the officer with the requested information.

Moving vehicle violations are the most common reason for stopping a vehicle. However, you may also have been stopped for a registration or equipment violation.

A criminal investigation may be another reason for being stopped – or your vehicle might match the description of a vehicle that was involved in a crime.

At some point during the traffic stop, the officer may ask for you and any passengers to exit the vehicle for a variety of reasons. Please follow the instructions the officer gives you.

Our actions during a traffic stop are guided by the fact that many police officers are killed each year during traffic stops. Our goal is to protect you while also ensuring our own safety. Please know that all UWPD traffic stops are video/audio recorded, and our officers wear body cameras.

What if I’m issued a citation?

Don’t argue at the scene. You have the right to contest a citation before a judge at a later time. This doesn’t require the service of an attorney. For more information about handling a citation, please refer to the information at the bottom of the citation.

When a vehicle is stopped, it looks like the officer is ‘sneaking up’ on the driver. At night the officers shine their lights into the car. Why?

Officers are trained to minimize their exposure to traffic and potential danger from within the vehicle. At night, the bright lights illuminate the interior of the vehicle, which is another safety consideration for the officer.

Why did multiple officers show up during my traffic stop?

It’s not uncommon for officers who are in close proximity to back each other up – even if they aren’t requested. This is for safety reasons. It’s also possible that the initial or secondary patrol vehicle may be a field-training unit, which consists of two officers.

Why does the officer sit in the car for so long? What are they doing?

Technology allows an officer to verify your driving status, vehicle registration, etc., right from their patrol car. Because this information is accessed via a computer, and dependent upon its network connection, unexpected delays can happen. However, this is rare. While it may seem as if the officer has kept you waiting for a long time, in reality, it’s normally for just a few minutes.

If you have questions about Wisconsin’s traffic laws or any recent interaction with police officers, please reach out to me by phone, email, or in person at my office in the Community Center.

Jeff Kirchman

University Apartments Community Police Officer

608-264-2677 | jkirchman@wisc.edu

University Apartments Community Center, Room 131