Traffic Paper

The most common job a police officer does is making traffic stops. It is during these stops that an officer is very vulnerable. They are walking into the unknown when approaching a vehicle. Pulling someone over for the smallest reasons such as a broken tail light or improper display of a license plate can turn deadly in a heart beat. It does not take much to get someone to want to fight with the officer. According to an article I found, "Many officers are killed each year and thousands more are injured in traffic related incidences. For example, in 1999, over half of all officer, line-of-duty deaths were related to traffic incidences. In addition, when the use of weapons at the traffic stop are added, the percentage of traffic related deaths is over 55 percent. Every stop for a traffic violation has the potential for danger." Most of the time this happens when pulling over someone who has been to jail already before and does not want to go back. If the person has drugs on them or in their car chances are if they see an opportunity to run from the police they will do just that. Police officers always have to be on the guard and paying close attention to everything that is said and every move the person makes. One mistake can cost an officer his or her life.

The forth amendment plays a major role when pulling people over. According to an article I found, "The fourth amendment to the U.S. Constitution limits the powers of the police to perform searches and seizures, requiring that any such search or seizure performed are reasonable. Generally, satisfaction of this reasonableness requirement necessitates that police officers obtain prior judicial approval in the form of an arrest or search warrant before a search or seizure is performed." So as you can see a police officer cannot just pull someone over because they do not like them. They must have a reason. And they cannot search a vehicle unless they have a reason to do so.

People can be pulled over for a number of reasons. An officer must first have probable cause for pulling someone over. The most common reason for being pulled over is speeding. Almost everyone who drives is guilty of speeding most of the time they are in a car driving. I personally do not know anyone who does not speed while driving. It is up to the officers' discretion on how far past the speed limit he allows you to go before pulling you over. The most common thing I have always heard is that