Be Prepared When You're Pulled Over by the Police!

You know what I'm talking about! You're on your way to work cruising down the highway, suddenly on the other side of an overpass you see a car pulled over by a police cruiser with flashing lights. You say to yourself, "better him then me". Lets face it, the only time most of us are happy to see a cop is when we need one, or when they got someone other then ourselves pulled over by the side of the road. Like it or not, it's a numbers game. Sooner or later we all get to experience that anything but calm feeling that's associated with red and blue lights flashing in the rear-view mirror. As nervous as it can be, it is important to be prepared when you're pulled over by the police. React the wrong way and it can end up costing you more money, or worse yet get you a ticket when just a simple warning might have been on the table. Here are 10 tips that can prevent things from getting any worse than they need to be.

Keep your Cool -- Stay Calm and Relaxed.... This is not the time to get all jazzed up and become argumentative. Not only will this give the officer a bad impression (not to mention, make you look potentially guilty of something), but can make you appear to be dangerous, or even violent. When a police cruiser signals you to pull over, pull over right away and turn off the engine. Roll down the drivers side window and keep both hands on the steering wheel where they are visible to the officer. Be courteous, and don't start reaching for your registration and insurance paperwork until your asked for it.

Keep Your Mouth Shut.... Do not say anymore than you need to. Give the officer short and concise answers, and do not admit guilt to anything. You are not obligated to admit anything. If asked why you were pulled over, respond by saying "I don't know". If you end up going to court over the incident, what you said during the stop can come back to haunt you.

Test the Waters.... If it's been a few years or so since you've been stopped by a policeman, ask if you can get a warning. What's the worst thing that can happen, the officer says "no". Sometimes depending on the mood of the cop, and if your driving record is clean, you might get lucky with just a warning.