California Driver Handbook
What A Driver Should Do During An Enforcement Stop
Acknowledge the officer’s presence by turning on your right turn signal. An officer may become alarmed if you fail to recognize him/her and might perceive that you have a reason to avoid yielding or that you might be impaired. Activating your signal lets the officer know that you recognize his/her presence.
Move your vehicle to the right shoulder of the road. The officer will guide you utilizing his/her patrol vehicle. Do not move onto the center median. Too often drivers yield to the left and stop in the center median of a freeway or on the opposite side of a two lane roadway. This places both the driver and the officer in danger of being hit by oncoming traffic.
On a freeway, move completely onto the right shoulder even if you’re in the carpool lane. Stop in well lit areas when possible. Pull your vehicle as far off the roadway as possible. When it is dark, look for locations that have more light (i.e., areas with street or freeway lights, near restaurants, service stations).
Hang up your cell phone and turn off your radio. The officer needs your full attention to communicate with you and complete the enforcement stop with you in the least amount of time needed. Turn off your radio and refrain from phone conversation during the traffic stop.
Remain inside your vehicle unless otherwise directed by the officer. Never step out of your vehicle unless an officer directs you to do so. During an enforcement stop, the officer’s priorities are your safety, the safety of your passengers, and the officer’s own personal safety. In most situations, the safest place for you and your passengers is inside your vehicle. Exiting your vehicle without first being directed to by an officer can increase the risk of being struck by a passing vehicle.
Place your hands in clear view, including all passengers (i.e., on steering wheel, on top of lap, etc.). During an enforcement stop, an officer’s inability to see the hands of the driver and all occupants in the vehicle increases the officer’s level of threat. Most violent criminal acts against a law enforcement officer occur through the use of a person’s hands (i.e., use of a firearm, use of a sharp object). If your windows are tinted, it is recommended that you roll down your windows after you have stopped your vehicle on the right shoulder of the roadway, and before the officer makes contact with you.