Likely, you’ve all witnessed a traffic stop, and if you have, you will have noticed the way that we position our vehicles. When stopped for a traffic violation, motorists are required to safely pull over to the right side of the road and stop. The Police Cruiser then pulls in behind them, but offset a bit. Last week, we were questioned why.
— Jeff10K (@Jeff10k) September 3, 2014
The simple answer is that Officers are trained to place a great deal of emphasis on their safety and yours so they can do the job of protecting the public and ensuring everyone’s safety. Positioning their vehicles in such a manner forces traffic to slow down in the nearby lanes, and acts as a safety barrier when the Officer is out of their vehicle. Consider the diagram below.
If the motorist ever needed to get out of their vehicle, the cruiser acts as a safety barrier for them as well.
We understand this might be an inconvenience to some, but we’re just trying to keep ourselves safe!
For more information on traffic stops, please visit our website.