
Did you see a policeman knock on your taillight when you were pulled over?
Content
- First officers watching vehicles on the roadway
- They see someone stop
- Oops, they stop you
- The officer touches your tail light
- Are you curious...
- All in the name of security?
- 8% of deaths in the line of duty
- States actively working to ensure the safety of officers
- But there are other dangers associated with dragging someone in.
- The Internet has all the answers!
- Surprise! Did I scare you?
- The taillight trick started a long time ago
- Long before TV cameras, listening to the tail was OG's method of surveillance.
- You can tell a lot about a person...
- …By the way they react
- Don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious...
- They are always looking
- It's super efficient!
- The cops are always in danger
- Fingerprints leave clues
- Crime scene!
- Although it's not a surefire way
- What's in the trunk?
- Partners looking at each other
- DVRs deliver documentation
- Taillight tapping is still relevant
Being stopped is a stressful situation; it's a cop's way of saying, "Hey, we saw you did something wrong, and we're going to talk to you about it!" Even if you don't understand what you've done!
The cops came up with a ruse to help themselves by approaching any car that stopped.
First officers watching vehicles on the roadway
Just imagine it; you are driving along the road, enjoying a beautiful day, singing and playing to your favorite music.

But you may not realize how fast you're going, or that you've just passed a cop with a high-speed rifle trying to get his next catch of the day.
They see someone stop
The next thing you hear are sirens approaching and approaching behind you; you look in your rearview mirrors and see a police car pull up.

You pull over to the side of the road.
Oops, they stop you
Moving to the side of the road, you realize that you are stopped by a policeman!

"Oh no!" You think to yourself, alarmed, as you see a police officer pull up behind you and get out of his car.
The officer touches your tail light
You look in the mirror - the officer is walking towards your car.

He then puts his hand on the back of your car, especially the taillight, before walking over to talk to you.
Are you curious...
You've never been pulled over before and you're wondering, "Why did the cop touch my car?" You think to yourself.

And you are going to ask the officer, but you completely forget when you start talking to the policeman and they give you a ticket.
All in the name of security?
Being a cop comes with its fair share of dangers, but how dangerous is it to pull someone in your car?

Between 2011 and 2020, 454 officers died in traffic accidents, accounting for 33% of all on-duty deaths, according to the CDC. But does it have anything to do with them pulling you along?
8% of deaths in the line of duty
You may be surprised, but pulling someone is more dangerous than we think.

It's quite shocking, but of the 33% of officers killed in the line of duty, 8% of those deaths are caused by officers being hit by vehicles while on foot.
States actively working to ensure the safety of officers
Because of how dangerous it is for an officer to stop someone, every state except the District of Columbia has a so-called "Moving Law".

This law requires drivers to change lanes and move to give cops room when they are stopped on the side of the road.
But there are other dangers associated with dragging someone in.
While movement laws exist to protect officers, there is still a huge risk factor they face when they stop someone.

You will be surprised to know that running into a moving vehicle is far from the only danger they face.
The Internet has all the answers!
Luckily, you don't have to wonder what the danger is and why the officer took so long to touch your taillight.

You don't have to ask the officer why he touched your rear light, just search the internet for answers to your question!
Surprise! Did I scare you?
To scare the driver is one of the main reasons why cops bang their taillights.

Most of the time the driver is not expecting the noise, so his reaction gives the policeman some time to observe the driver.
The taillight trick started a long time ago
After a quick search, you'll find that cops have been "banging taillights" for years!

And his practice helps the police, because there is always a potential risk of danger.
Long before TV cameras, listening to the tail was OG's method of surveillance.
Body cameras, video recorders, and other surveillance methods give the officer an idea of who you are, but before them, tail tapping was old school.

Some officers can still slap your tail and also carry a camera to get real-time information about who they are stopping.
You can tell a lot about a person...
Police officers always need to quickly assess the situation when they approach a vehicle.

And a tail light signal can give the police officer information about the driver they just pulled over.
…By the way they react
When an officer taps on a taillight, he is considering several situations.

How does the driver react? Did they flinch? Or were they distracted by something else? Drunk driver? Or hide the weapon?
Don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious...
Thus, if a driver is dealing with illegal items such as controlled substances, ammunition, or weapons, their reaction to a police officer's tail light signal will tell the officer if the driver is trying to hide something.

It's a proven method!
They are always looking
While the driver might think he has a few minutes to fix his car, the cop is already watching.

So don't suddenly quarrel because someone is always paying attention to you.
It's super efficient!
This tactic proved to be particularly effective.

This has led to more arrests of drivers under the influence of alcohol, more arrests of drug dealers, and more arrests of people found in possession of unlicensed firearms.
The cops are always in danger
This practice has proven effective in catching suspicious drivers off guard.

But there is an even more important reason why officers touch your taillight, and it has to do with their own protection.
Fingerprints leave clues
Another reason a cop taps on a tail light is because it leaves fingerprints on the car.

This is useful in extreme circumstances where an officer may find himself in a dangerous situation or never return to the station after a shift.
Crime scene!
Let's say a police officer stopped someone and just touched the driver's tail light. However, this driver was dangerous; and this led to an accident with an officer who is now in the hospital.

Fortunately, since there were fingerprints on the car, the police have evidence that this particular car was at the scene of the criminal investigation.
Although it's not a surefire way
However, this fingerprinting tactic is not a surefire way to collect evidence.

Unfortunately, there is always the possibility that fingerprints have been faked or smeared; or washed away by rain or snow.
What's in the trunk?
If a police officer thinks he is in a dangerous situation when he stops someone, he will also touch the trunk to make sure it is locked.

This is to ensure that no one hides or jumps out of the trunk to harm the officer.
Partners looking at each other
While one officer checks to see if the trunk is locked, his partner usually comes up and talks to the driver.

This ensures that a dangerous driver does not grab a weapon and run away while another officer checks the trunk.
DVRs deliver documentation
Of course, the practice of listening to taillights was more important before technology brought us a dash cam.

While many cops are still ordered to tap drivers' taillights, they also have dash cams (and sometimes police body cameras) to record every interaction.
Taillight tapping is still relevant
As it turns out, taillight clattering is not only a way to catch a driver off guard, but also an important safety practice for police officers.

This may just be the oldest trick in the book.

