We’ve all been there. You look in the rear view mirror, see those lights go on, and panic hits you. Sometimes I blank out the previous couple minutes, was I speeding? did I run a stop sign? did I make an illegal turn?
Here are some ideas to avoid getting pulled over in the first place.
1. Drive the Speed Limit. I know this is obvious, but if you aren’t running late, it might be something to seriously consider. An additional benefit of following the speed limit (versus speeding) is an increase in gas mileage. That’s a win-win reason.
2. MIddle of the Pack. Need to speed? Find a group of cars going the speed you want and hang out in the middle. The first car is likely to trigger a cop radar, and the last car is likely to get pulled over first. Hanging out in the middle is a safer placer to be if you need to speed.
3. Follow a Speeder. Put some distance between you and the speeder and let him trigger the radar. The distance allows you enough time to slow down when the cop pulls out.
4. Drive a decent car. Speaking from personal experience, if you’re driving a beat-up car with the paint peeling off – cops will find a reason to pull you over. If you’re driving a decent car that blends in, you won’t draw extra attention to yourself.
5. Relax. Aggressive driving will only draw extra attention to yourself. So even if some jerk cuts you off or drives 10 under the speed limit, take a deep breath and relax. When you can safely get around the person, remind yourself to relax and avoid the old, “I’m going to teach him a lesson” philosophy.
6. Pay Attention. If you commute the same way to work every day, start paying attention. Notice where the cops sit, or where there are turnouts for cops to hide. Make note of them and slow down accordingly.
7. Leave on time. The biggest reason for speeding is that you are late. Leave on time, and enjoy your ride to your destination without the anxiety, stress, and pressure to speed.
8. Don’t drive. This is a very great way to avoid getting pulled over. By taking the bus or riding your bike, you’re helping the environment, saving money on gas, reducing traffic problems, and you’re avoiding potential traffic violations. Another win-win reason.
9. Hang Up. Or get a hands-free device. If you’re the only one on your cell phone in a pack of speeding vehicles, you just increased your chances of getting pulled over.
10. Keep your registration updated. And put the sticker on! Don’t let yourself get pulled over because you’re too lazy to put the little sticker on your car. You’ll feel like a fool when the cop walks up to your car and you have the stickers sitting next to you. That reason comes from personal experience. 
11. You’re not in the clear. Just because you see someone else pulled over doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear. Speed traps often come in pairs – it’s part of the setup. So give yourself a few miles before speeding up again.
12. Easy on the Holidays. Whether it’s Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Labor Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, or any of the other number of holidays, take it easy. Cops working on holidays are probably not too happy about it. They’ll be looking for people to punish. And you don’t want that to be you.
13. Watch your back. While your scanning the road in front of you in search for cops, don’t forget to look back. You don’t want to be driving for miles with a cop behind you (and lights on).
14. Flashed. If you just got flashed (someone’s brights flashed at you) and you didn’t have your brights on, the driver might be warning you about a speed trap they just passed. Don’t risk it. Slow down and play it safe. The next time you pass a speed trap, pass the favor on.
15. Volunteer. At your local police department. Get to know the officers, let them know what your car looks like, and enjoy the advantages of your new friends. Plus you’ll be helping at your community – that will balance out that karma for your speeding and aggressive driving.
16. Seatbelt. Seat belts save lives, and in most places it’s against the law to not wear one. So be smart – buckling up could save your life and help you avoid getting pulled over. Another win-win reason.
17. Follow the Law. The BEST way to avoid getting pulled over is to follow the law, which I encourage. Keep yourself and the rest of us safe on the road by following those annoying laws. Thank You!
Filed under: List, Money, Random | Tagged: car, driving, speed, speed limit, speeder, speeding ticket, ticket, traffic ticket, traffic violation
Would hope more people in Quebec would read this lol.
it is a nice article that can help to save life and the environment as well. KEEP IT UP
Drive a “Mom car” even when I speed (and get ’seen’ by an authority figure) they usually just trail me for a bit then peel off. It helps that I have a “pointless” registration/record and that I only ever go 4-5 miles over but the Honda Element has to help!
I also find that having a Mom Car prevents pulling over. Or maybe it’s the fact that this car WON’T speed. It’s just too wimpy. Either way I haven’t been ticketed in YEARS.
great blog
also have experienced the wrath of #10, lol
FYI: Cops love cherry red sports cars. They tune in to one as soon as it gets into their vision. Why? Because if you own one, you are more likely to speed in a cherry red sports car than if you were driving anything else.
I think this is very good advice. However a point that was not brought up in this article but which I think in most places is very relevant to why or who not drivers are pulled over is (unfortunately) ethnic background. Having lived in LA for 5 years I noticed, (with absolutely NO exaggeration) that the only cars I EVER saw being pulled over were driven by people of color. Sometimes, no matter how careful a driver you are, you will still be targeted by human/cultural flaw. It’s an unfortunate reality that i think should be mentioned – one that may not be written in any judicial legislatures but that is commonly practiced by an imperfect system.
I have found that speeding is not the main thing that cops pull people over for. Red light running or stop sign running are also huge. (You forgot those). But also swerving and looking drunk is a big one, they really want to find the drunk people, even if all you were doing was looking for your phone, they may pull you over. But the BIGGIE here in Arizona is driving in the carpool section of the freeway without carpooling. People can always argue speeding, but it is hard to argue that you have 2 people in the car when you did not.
Jason Dragon
http://blog.capitalactive.com/
I’ve done number 10 also and had the registration sticker next to me in the car… When the cop pulled me over and I showed it to him, he just went, “Oh Lord!” and pulled away.
sounds like you dont like the police
I form alliances with other cars on the highway.
“Alright, black Lexus. You and me. Let’s roll,” is a common thing to hear in my car. I will let him do the work by finding the holes in traffic, and I will sell him out in a heartbeat in case I see a state trooper behind us.
I am a horrible highway co-driver, but no one knows that until it’s too late for them.
HI I am Orange
sounds like good advice to me, although also make sure your lights all work, thats big
You a beauty, so just turn on the charm, and nothing to worry about. LOL~
go to this website to find redlight cameras and speed cameras in your city.
http://www.photoenforced.com
also
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http://ran-the-monkey.livejournal.com/3279.html
also at the top left of the site click on PREVIOUS SITES.
I have been told by a reputable source that driving less than 10 mph over the speed limit is generally accepted due to the margin of error implicit in radar speed detection. To date, that theory has proven true for me, I would love to here from someone who has experienced otherwise -though.
i have to 2nd the 10MPH or less over the limit is accepted, accept the one time i got pulled over for going 5mph over in the fast lane on the freeway which I’m contesting. aside from that, I have been ticketed for going no much slower than 15 over and no more than 50 over the limit.
Happy Speeding!
=)