What does it mean when a police officer touches your tail light?

If the police officer believes they are in a dangerous situation as they pull you over, they may touch the backend of your vehicle on the way to your window to make sure the trunk is latched. It might sound bizarre, but this tactic ensures that no one is hiding in the trunk and could pop out.

Can you drive with a missing tail light?

While some police officers issue citations for broken taillights – which they can do, as it is technically illegal to drive with a broken taillight – most will probably just give you a warning and tell you to get it fixed as soon as you can. If you notice that your taillight is out, don’t try to test the system.

Can you get in trouble for having a brake light out?

A brake light bulb can fail at any time, the chances are however that if you have more than one brake light out, a police officer will come to the conclusion that a driver has simply not checked that their brake lights are working for a considerable time, which is where penalties are likely to become harsher.

Why do the police touch your car when they pull you over?

A third police tactic cops use is if an officer believes they are in a dangerous situation as they pull you over, they may touch the backend of your vehicle on the way to your window to make sure the trunk is latched. This tactic ensures that no one is hiding in the trunk and could pop out.

Can cops search your car after pulling you for a broken taillight?

However, this does not grant the authority the power to search the vehicle. When there is no reasonable suspicion after the cops pull over a driver for a broken taillight, there is no legal search possible.

Do police officers touch your taillight during traffic stops?

Asking a driver for their license and registration is common procedure from police officers during traffic stops. There’s another practice that was once standard across the force but is more of a mystery to the people being pulled over: While approaching a driver’s window, officers will sometimes touch a car’s taillight.

What do police look for when pulled over for a traffic stop?

After pulling you over, an officer will watch for any sort of “furtive movement.” A sudden lowering of one or both shoulders, for example, will tip the officer off that you’re attempting to hide something under the seat. An officer enforcing a traffic stop isn’t looking just for furtive movements.

What should you do if your tail light breaks?

By remaining calm and silent, the individual behind the wheel can get through the stop without incurring any additional actions by the cops. If any ticket is given for the broken taillight, this person should still remain quiet about it and not complain about the incident.