Whether or not you’ve ever been pulled over by a police officer in your vehicle, you’ve probably thought about this age-old strategy: cops touch their taillights when they pull you over. This occurs when a police officer gets out of their vehicle and approaches yours, but instead of heading directly for your window, the officer touches your tail light first. Rest assured that this practice is completely legal and common, dating back decades – initially implemented to mitigate the risk that police officers are often exposed to when practicing traffic law. So why do cops touch taillights?
Why are the cops touching your tail light?
Although a police officer usually approaches the vehicle, nothing unusual happens. However, there is always the risk of danger, especially with violence against the police increasing every year. Police need to be able to quickly scan a vehicle before approaching it, and touching/tapping a tail light can tell officers a lot about the person being stopped. For example, this tactic can give a police officer an idea of the driver’s mental state. Did the driver startle when the officer touched the tail light or were they too distracted by something else? These are the questions police officers must consider moments before they approach a driver. And while there are several theories as to why cops touch your tail light, here are some of the most common reasons.
1.Startle the driver
Police officers inevitably find themselves in dangerous situations when they pull people over. Sometimes drivers have illegal substances or prohibited items in their cars, such as guns, ammunition or drugs. Naturally, if a driver has something illegal in their vehicle, they will want to hide it before the officer approaches the window.
One reason police officers touch taillights is to scare the person inside. The driver probably isn’t expecting the sound of the tap, which usually stops them momentarily, giving the officer more time to witness what the driver is trying to hide (if anything).
Constant practice of this surprising tactic has proven:
- Increase arrests of drunk drivers
- Increase arrests of drug dealers
- Increase arrests of people found in possession of unlicensed firearms
- Other road related offences
However, the practice of reaching for the taillights of vehicles can put our police officers in a risky situation. This is because this practice exposes the police officer’s position and makes him vulnerable to attack.
2.Leave evidence
Another reason police officers touch tail lights was originally to leave fingerprints on the vehicle. In the event that the police officer found himself in a dangerous situation while stopping the vehicle in question, the fingerprint evidence would prove that he was present at the scene. Fingerprints would only be used if the interaction between the driver and the officer led to a criminal investigation, such as a traffic accident or shooting. However, this is not always a reliable way to assist in an investigation, as fingerprints can be blurred or tampered with, as well as washed away by rain or snow.
More often than not, there are better ways for the police to get evidence from a crime scene than fingerprints on a car.
3.Make sure the suitcase is secured
Police officers risk their lives every day on the job and must be prepared for danger and violence that may arise at any time. While knocking on a tail light can scare drivers and leave marks on the vehicle, police officers use another tactic. If a police officer believes they are in a dangerous situation while pulling over, they may touch the back of your vehicle on the way to the window to make sure the trunk is secured. It may sound bizarre, but this tactic ensures that no one hides in the trunk and could jump out.
If the policeman checks that your trunk is closed, he usually has his partner with him. One officer checks the trunk while the other approaches your window. This is to ensure the safety of the officers and ensure that the driver cannot hide anything or get a weapon while the officer is checking the trunk.
Do cops still touch taillights?
Due to the rampant crime that is taking place on the roads, police officers are exposed to more danger than in the past. Instead of this practice, our law enforcement officers have instead adopted new technology in enforcing the rules of the road. Security cameras are now installed on almost every road corner and it is standard for all police officers to have dash cams or body cameras recording live video of the vehicle and every interaction that occurs between the driver and the officer, eliminating the original reason. tapping was sometimes implemented.
Some police departments still instruct their officers to leave some form of fingerprints on the car, but it doesn’t have to be a taillight. If you get pulled over and the officer still touches your taillight, it’s probably out of habit rather than necessity.
Is it safe for a police officer to touch your tail light?
When cops touch your tail light while pulling you over, it seems like an innocent strategy, but is it actually putting their safety at risk? With violence against the police more common than ever, taillight knocking can put officers in harm’s way. For example, some police departments will instruct their officers not to touch the tail lights at all, while others will tell them to only touch the side of the vehicle, not the rear. By touching the taillight, the officer could get directly behind the vehicle, putting him at risk of injury if the driver were to shift into reverse. As morbid as it sounds, these things happen and police officers must always be prepared for the worst when approaching any vehicle.
