Aw, man. The flashing red and blue lights are unmistakable in your rearview mirror and fill up your cabin. It’s time to pull over for a traffic stop. It can be a stressful situation. Fortunately, these police officers have made it that much easier by sharing what you should never do at a stop. 

Police officers from the Buffalo Police Department and Franklin, Tennessee share the “don’t do it” specifics of a traffic stop

Granted, no one wants to deal with a traffic stop. In most cases where a police officer stops a motorist, that driver is likely looking at a pricey ticket. However, a seemingly innocuous stop can sour quickly. As such, cops from two police departments recommend that you steer clear of five behaviors. 

• Don’t stop in the middle of the road.
• Never step out of your vehicle and approach the police vehicle
• Avoid sudden movements, especially those to obscured parts of the car
• Don’t start digging for documentation immediately. Not even if you’re in a hurry
• If you’re armed, don’t pull out your weapon unless instructed to do so

For starters, Officer Ryan Schuman of the Franklin Police Department reminds drivers to pull over safely when prompted by emergency lights and sirens. Never stop in the middle of the road. Consequently, stopping in the middle of the road can put you in danger, create a dicey situation for cops, and endanger other motorists.

In that same vein, Schuman says a motorist should avoid immediately stepping out of their vehicle and approaching the police unit. Remain in your vehicle until the police officer tells you to do otherwise.

The Buffalo Police Department in New York wants to remind citizens that they shouldn’t make any sudden movements. It’s especially dangerous to reach for portions of the car that the officer can’t see, like rear seats, floorboards, or map pockets. Similarly, police in Buffalo say not to immediately rummage through their belongings to retrieve documentation. Instead, motorists should wait for the request from cops at a traffic stop.

Finally, Officer Schuman says drivers shouldn’t pull out a legally owned firearm to show police officers. Duh, right? Well, some drivers might believe showing their weapons to the police to be a disarming tactic. “We’re going to be very uncomfortable about that,” Schuman said about drivers offering up their firearms.