Video: A Rules Of The Road Refresher… What To Do At A Traffic Stop

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OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – In the last week, two Northeast Mississippi law enforcement officers have been shot in the line of duty.
One was responding to a call, and the other was attempting to pull over a motorcyclist.

It’s more important than you may think to know the rules of the road today.

Officers encounter hundreds of drivers daily but what are you supposed to do when you get pulled over? What should you not do?

Those are common questions.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff Steve Gladney has worked in law enforcement since 1980.

He has seen a number of changes in his line of work.

“When I was in patrol school, they came in our class and told us that it had been 16 years since an officer was killed in the line of duty in a hostile act, we had some killed in car accidents. And the first 5 years I worked on high way patrol, we had 5 troopers shot, so it changed that quickly,” said Sheriff Gladney.

But one thing that hasn’t changed much is the rules of the road.

Sheriff Gladney says it’s important to always remember the do’s and dont’s when you get pulled over.

In addition to keeping your hands free and staying inside the vehicle, Sheriff Gladney says a traffic stop is not the place to confront an officer.

“Whether or not you think you’re guilty or not when you get stopped, getting into a confrontation with that officer on the side of the road, that’s not the time or place. If you think you were mis-treated and you want to file a complaint, that’s not the time to do it. You go see the sheriff or the chief the next day,” said Sheriff Gladney.

Above all, Sheriff Gladney advises all drivers to obey one rule.

“Just do what he tells you to do. If he meets you, turns the lights on, stop, just pull over and stop,” added Sheriff Gladney.

Having an updated drivers license and proof of insurance easily accessible at a traffic stop is also a must.