If an officer is pulling you over at night, you should pull over just like you normally would if it was during the day. By law, an individual should find the first available safe location to pull over their motor vehicle. The specific circumstances of a particular stop vary given the time of day and weather conditions, which impacts where the stop is being made. In dark areas or areas that lack sufficient light, a person is still required to comply with all police requests to pull over.
In many Buck County traffic stops at night, police follow slowly behind the operator to a location they see as safe and indicate verbally to the driver to pull over to a specific location. It is not eluding a police if an individual is being slowly followed by police and complying with all requests. For more information about traffic stops at night, contact an experienced attorney in Bucks County.
When drivers are pulling over during a stop to a safe location, they should wait for the police to exit their vehicle and approach them. The driver should not attempt to exit their motor vehicle without the request of a police officer. The individual should have their hands in a visible location and comply with the demands made by police. In most cases, police request a license registration for the motor vehicle and proof of insurance. Once it is requested and not prior, the driver should obtain the materials and turn them over in a non-hostile manner to the police officer requesting the information.
Individuals making sudden movements may cause expectations to rise and could be asked by police to exit their motor vehicles. In the majority of cases, once the police give commands and the driver follows through with the commands, the motor vehicle stop comes and goes in a peaceful and safe manner.
Whether a traffic stop is made during the daytime or the nighttime, the specific facts of the individual stop often dictate the procedures the operator and the police follow. In traffic stops at night in Bucks County, there is a heightened level of security when dealing with the police because the roads are more barren in certain areas. Light is not always available and police often move at a slower pace to ensure the operator, passengers, and their own safety. With nighttime stops, the same rules apply. For example, during a nighttime stop, a police officer may use a flashlight or other lighting device on the driver’s vehicle to illuminate the situation. If that is not available, police may deal with the operator one-on-one in the vehicle or ask the operator to step out of the vehicle. They could then have a conversation about the necessary paperwork or what occurred.
Bucks County traffic stops at night should be handled with more caution than a stop during the day. The driver should comply with the police and make sure they do not make any sudden movements that could escalate the situation. If you have any questions regarding traffic stops procedures, contact a seasoned attorney who could help you avoid any unnecessary charges.