How Long Do You Have to Pull Over When a Police Officer Is Tailing You with His Lights On?

When those red and blue lights flash in the rearview mirror, one of the most nerve-wracking traffic experiences begins—getting pulled over by a police officer. Of course, it’s usually not reasonable or safe to stop the vehicle immediately upon seeing the officer’s signal. In fact, the law instructs drivers to pull their vehicles over as soon as it is “safe and reasonable” to do so. The driver should pull the vehicle over as far right as possible and stop promptly, but not so quickly that the tailing officer would have to slam on his brakes.

Typically, state laws do not dictate a specific time limit on how long drivers have to pull over. Whether the time the driver takes to pull over is reasonable is largely left to the discretion of the officer. However, if the driver proceeds for a long distance or coasts for several blocks, the officer is likely to think the driver is attempting to flee and may become suspicious. Provided you pull over safely and promptly, though, that should not be a problem.

When pulling over, make sure you decrease your speed somewhat so as not to disrupt traffic but to signal to the officer that you acknowledge his signal to pull over. You should also turn your signal on to convey your intention to stop as soon as it is safe to do so. Once you pull the vehicle into a safe place, stay in the car, roll your window down, and keep your hands on the steering wheel until the office requests your documentation.