WHAT HAPPENS ON A TRAFFIC STOP

In this week’s column I will be discussing what happens during a traffic stop and the actions citizens should take to ensure the safety of driver, officer and surrounding traffic. Usually what happens is an officer observes a violation or has a reason to stop a vehicle. The officer will get behind the vehicle and either activate the red lights and siren to initiate the traffic stop or wait for a place where the officer determines it is safe to conduct the traffic stop.

Once the driver of a vehicle has stopped, they should wait for the officer to approach, keep their hands in clear view, and refrain from reaching for documents in pockets, consoles, glove boxes or purses. The best place to have your hands is on the steering wheel.

Officers with the Woodland Police Department are trained to identify themselves by name, give the name of the agency they work for, and give the reason for the traffic stop. Once the officer has given you the preliminary information they will generally ask for the driver’s license, registration, and insurance. Please refrain from making any sudden movements while talking to the officer. Let the officer know where you keep the requested items prior to reaching for them. A traffic stop is one of the most dangerous situations for officers. If you keep your information under the seat or in a place the officer cannot see the officer may not want you to reach for the items. One of the things I recommend to motorists is that they keep the papers in their vehicle in order. An envelope works well to hold the current registration and insurance information for the vehicle. A traffic stop can take as little as a few minutes but can take much longer if the requested paperwork is not in order.

The officer will then determine if you will receive a warning or a citation. If you receive a citation the officer will ask you to sign the citation. By signing the citation you are not admitting guilt to violating the law but only promising to contact the traffic court. The officer will give you a copy of the citation and you will be allowed to leave.

This is an example of a standard traffic stop for a Vehicle Code violation. There are numerous reasons a traffic stop can be extended or cause the officer to conduct additional investigation. The law allows officers to extend the time of a traffic stop if the officer has reason to believe there is some other criminal activity occurring.

When trying to stop a vehicle, I often encounter traffic traveling in the same direction I am traveling failing to pull to the right hand shoulder of the road and stop. Often I will be traveling in the #1 lane (or fast lane), activate my lights and siren, and the traffic in the #2 lane (or slow lane) will slow to a lower speed but not pull to the right and stop. Failing to pull to the right and stop is a violation of California Vehicle Code Section 21806, the section states in summary that upon the approach of an emergency vehicle which is sounding a siren and has at least one lighted red light, the surrounding traffic shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to the right-hand edge or curb of the highway, clear of any intersection, stop, and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed.

While it is important for motorists to yield to officers enforcing traffic laws it is equally important for emergency vehicles responding to serious crimes and medical emergencies. Driving with lights and siren, or CODE 3, becomes dangerous when the rules of the road are not followed by motorists.

Thank you for taking the time to read this column. If you have any questions or comments you can contact me at www.thetrafficstop.blogspot.com, you can also read past columns on the website. Please remember to drive safely, from 1994 to 2003, 57,142 teenagers were killed in motor vehicle crashes.