Traffic stops — Kentucky Permit Test

A Kentucky driver being pulled over should stay calm and should not bring the vehicle to an abrupt stop on the travel portion of the roadway.

Stopping in the lane puts both the driver and the officer where the traffic is.

Stay calm if this occurs, and do not bring your vehicle to an abrupt stop on the travel portion of the roadway.

A Kentucky driver stopped by police turns off the engine, turns on the hazard flashers and, at night, the interior lights, and completely rolls down the window.

The interior light lets the officer see that nothing is wrong inside before they reach the door.

Turn off your engine. Turn on your hazard flashers and, if at night, your interior lights to help the officer see that everything is in order inside the vehicle.

A Kentucky driver stopped by police keeps their safety belt fastened and asks passengers to do the same.

The car is still beside moving traffic, so the belt stays on until the stop is over.

Remain calm and keep your safety belt fastened. Ask your passenger(s) to do so as well.

A Kentucky driver should not start gathering their license, registration and insurance, but should keep their hands on the steering wheel and limit movements.

An officer walking up sees movement rather than intent, and hands on the wheel remove the question.

Instead, keep your hands on the steering wheel and limit movements so the officer does not think you are hiding or searching for something.

Before reaching for documents at a Kentucky traffic stop, a driver first tells the officer where they are located, then reaches slowly with one hand on the wheel.

Saying where they are first turns a sudden movement into an expected one.

Before reaching for these documents, first tell the officer where they are located.

A Kentucky driver should remain in the vehicle during a traffic stop unless requested to get out.

Getting out unasked puts a person into a traffic lane and changes how the stop is read.

Remain in the vehicle unless requested to get out.

A Kentucky driver who receives a citation should remain calm and not argue, because a roadside stop is not the place to lodge complaints or resolve disputes.

The argument belongs in a courtroom, where it can actually be settled.

Roadside traffic stops are not the proper or safe place to lodge complaints or resolve disputes.

Kentucky says never to run from law enforcement, because many fatal crashes occur from police chases and the consequences are often more severe than the initial citation.

Running turns a ticket into a felony, and sometimes into a crash.

Never try to run from law enforcement. It is very dangerous, and many fatal crashes occur from police chases.

Once a Kentucky traffic stop is finished a driver waits for the officer to return to the law enforcement vehicle, watches for it departing, uses a turn signal to reenter traffic and obeys all traffic laws.

Pulling away while the officer is still beside the car is how the stop ends badly.

Wait for the officer to return to the law enforcement vehicle;

What does Kentucky say about where to stop when being pulled over?

Not abruptly on the travel portion of the roadway. Stopping in the lane puts both the driver and the officer where the traffic is. Kentucky Driver Manual, p.65: “Stay calm if this occurs, and do not bring your vehicle to an abrupt stop on the travel portion of the roadway.”