Most Maryland residents want to imagine they could talk or charm our way out of a speeding ticket during a traffic stop. You might have heard some general advice to this end — about what you should say to a police officer in order to get a “warning” instead of a ticket.
If you’d like to know some tried and true methods that could help you in this regard, keep reading.
Wave at the officer
The first thing you’ll want to do, even before the police officer starts to follow you, is to give him or her a wave. Imagine you’re speeding and you realize a cop just caught you on the radar gun. Give a wave to let the officer know you saw him and you’re slowing down. This may help you avoid getting pulled over or avoid getting a ticket in many cases.
Don’t confess
Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law. When you say, “I’m sorry I was speeding, officer.” You’re making a confession and the police officer can use this against you if you want to later fight the ticket in court. It’s better to just respond with “I see,” or “I assumed I was traveling with the other vehicles.”
Ask, “How’s you’re day been going?”
A little bit of polite small talk can go a long way in any human interaction and a traffic stop is no different.
Ask for permission before grabbing for your wallet
If you think you’re scared when a cop pulls you over, the police officer is probably a lot more scared than you. Roll down your window and keep your hands at 10 and 2 on your steering wheel as the police officer approaches. Turn your internal lights on if it’s dark. Don’t make sudden movements, and ask the police officer before you move your hands to reach for your wallet or registration.
Following these instructions could help you get a warning rather than a speeding ticket. However, if you end up getting a ticket anyway, you will always be able to fight your speeding ticket in court.
Source: Readers Digest, “Beat Any Speeding Ticket with These Magic Words,” accessed Dec. 08, 2017