Texas Driving Defensively

What to do if you get pulled over in Texas

When you look in your rear-view mirrors and you see a Texas police officer with his lights on, panic sets in really fast. That's just the first emotion that kicks in during this situation. Once you've pulled over and started interacting with the officer, that panic can quickly turn into anger, whether you are guilty or not, of whatever infraction you allegedly performed.

The best thing you can do when pulled over by a Texas police officer is to stay calm, be polite, and follow the officer's instructions exactly. Behaving irrationally will only make the situation worse. On the few occasions I've been pulled over for a traffic violation, I've done everything I can to keep a cool head. I was as polite and respectful as possible even when the officer wasn't acting the same. Most officers are cool as long as you are, but on occasion, you may get one that's having a bad day. You still need to keep your wits about you. Making the officer's day worse than it already is won't help your situation at all. Try to make the process as short and smooth as you possibly can so you can both move on.

To be honest, I don't think I've ever dealt with an Texas officer with a bad attitude while being pulled over for a traffic violation. I remember being pulled over for an improper lane change once. I was actually speeding and I crossed over four lanes in a hurry to get to my exit. She gave me a warning for speeding and a citation for the unsafe lane change. The interaction between us was short, simple, and smooth because we were calm, cool, and collected about it.

You might have the initial reaction to challenge the citation right then and there. Arguing with an officer on the shoulder of a busy road is not the time or place to be disputing an alleged traffic violation. Just take your ticket and dispute it in court if you plan to. There's nothing you can legally do while interacting with the officer to get out of the ticket right then and there.

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