First, pull over soon and safely.
The first thing you want to do is focus on making the stop go smoothly. Otherwise, you may have trouble later at the Springfield Municipal Court and require a criminal and DWI lawyer in Springfield, MO. Think about the officer’s safety when you pull over. Pull over to a place where the officer can safely approach your vehicle. Do not pull into the median. Pull over at the first safe location. Failure to do so could result in a charge for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
Second, be prepared with documentation that you need to provide.
The important documents to have ready are:
- Your driver’s license,
- Your registration and
- Proof of insurance.
Do not reach for these items until the officer requests them. Keep your hands on the steering wheel until the officer asks for documents. This allows the officer to see your hands when he or she approaches you and provides the officer with the knowledge that you do not have a weapon in your hand.
Your driver’s license should be in an easy to locate place. Keep your registration and proof of insurance in an easy to locate place also. Your registration is the paperwork that comes with the stickers you put on your license plate. Make sure each of these items are current.
Third, be courteous and polite to the officer.
The officer is there to do his or her job.
Fourth, know your rights.
For instance, there are plenty of nuances with regards to Missouri DWI Laws, DWI Expungement, Missouri Assault Laws that you’ll want to be aware of.
Fifth, write down what happened after the stop is over.
The officer will write down what transpired during the stop. It is important for you to do the same. As time goes by, you will likely forget thinks that happened. Writing them down will help you to refresh your memory at a later time.
Sixth, do not do anything illegal.
This goes for before the stop occurred too.