Police touch your tail light when they pull you over

NKY'S LARGEST NEWS SOURCE | 131,000+ READERS

Two reasons why police officer touches a taillight >

Police touch your tail light when they pull you over

Posted on Tuesday, 7:27 am

Whether or not you have ever been pulled over in your vehicle by a police officer, you have probably wondered about this age-old strategy: policemen touching tail lights when they pull you over.

Rest assured this practice is completely legal and common, dating back decades – at first being implemented to mitigate the risk that police officers are often exposed to when practicing traffic law.

So why do cops touch tail lights, exactly?

Reason 1: To Startle the Driver

one of the reasons why cops touch tail lights is to startle the person inside. The driver is likely not expecting the noise of the tap – which typically causes him or her to stop for a moment, giving the police officer additional time to witness what the driver is trying to hide (if there is anything).

The continuous practice of this surprise tactic has proven to increase the arrest of intoxicated drivers, sellers of prohibited substances, people found in possession of unlicensed firearms, and other road-related offenses.

Reason 2: To Leave Evidence

Another reason why cops touch tail lights was to leave their fingerprints on the vehicle.

In case the officer found himself in a dangerous situation while pulling over the subject vehicle, fingerprint evidence would prove that he or she was present at the scene.

Lately, law enforcers have adopted new technology in implementing traffic rules.

It’s now standard for all cops to have dash or body cams recording live video of every interaction that happens, eliminating the original reason tail tapping was ever implemented.

If you get pulled over and the officer still touches your tail light, it’s likely out of habit rather than necessity.

Source: The Law Dictionary

Have you checked out old photos from around Northern Kentucky yet? You can do so by CLICKING HERE >