3 ms·

Is it a given that if you drive in the US you are going to get stopped by the police at some point?

sixothree 5y ago
Absolutely. There are factors that make it more likely. But regardless, I don't know a single person who has _never_ been stopped by police.
- neillyons 5y ago
  Thanks. That is the impression I'm getting from news stories coming from the US. I'm from the UK and I'd say it is the opposite. The majority of people have never been stopped by the police.
- dataflow 5y ago
  > I don't know a single person who has _never_ been stopped by police. I imagine you probably are acquainted with such people but you merely don't know this fact about them... unless I guess you ask "have you ever been stopped by police?" every time you introduce yourself to someone.
graphpercolator 5y ago
I would say yes from the time you get your license. Speed, roll through a stop, something until you get a ticket and have to go to "traffic school". Basically, sit through 3 or 4 hours of the most boring driver education videos imaginable. That is after sitting in court all day for the judge to send you to traffic school on a different day. I think most drivers change their behavior after this experience a few times. If you don't speed, come to a full stop at stop signs, don't run red lights and don't use your phone while driving you won't be pulled over but you will do one of those when you start. I would say every time I drive I see at least one driver doing something that would get them pulled over so for that person it is just a matter of time.
CheezeIt 5y ago
In my experience, no. I’ve only gotten pulled over when I was pretty much asking for it. When people say they get pulled over often, I usually find stuff out like they were doing +20 on a residential road. But this is in nicer parts of the country.
vharuck 5y ago
There are also temporary "checkpoints" (the real term escapes me at the moment), where police park their cars, funnel traffic to one or two lanes, and ask for ID from all cars passing through. I've only ever seen this done at highway on-ramps or major roads on nights notorious for drinking. With those, anybody driving on the road would be stopped, even if they followed every law.
- 0xdeadb00f 5y ago
  "Traffic stops" the term you're looking for? Or is that a different thin?

Absolutely. There are factors that make it more likely. But regardless, I don't know a single person who has _never_ been stopped by police.

neillyons 5y ago
Thanks. That is the impression I'm getting from news stories coming from the US. I'm from the UK and I'd say it is the opposite. The majority of people have never been stopped by the police.
dataflow 5y ago
> I don't know a single person who has _never_ been stopped by police. I imagine you probably are acquainted with such people but you merely don't know this fact about them... unless I guess you ask "have you ever been stopped by police?" every time you introduce yourself to someone.

graphpercolator 5y ago

I would say yes from the time you get your license. Speed, roll through a stop, something until you get a ticket and have to go to "traffic school". Basically, sit through 3 or 4 hours of the most boring driver education videos imaginable. That is after sitting in court all day for the judge to send you to traffic school on a different day. I think most drivers change their behavior after this experience a few times. If you don't speed, come to a full stop at stop signs, don't run red lights and don't use your phone while driving you won't be pulled over but you will do one of those when you start. I would say every time I drive I see at least one driver doing something that would get them pulled over so for that person it is just a matter of time.

CheezeIt 5y ago

In my experience, no. I’ve only gotten pulled over when I was pretty much asking for it. When people say they get pulled over often, I usually find stuff out like they were doing +20 on a residential road. But this is in nicer parts of the country.

vharuck 5y ago

There are also temporary "checkpoints" (the real term escapes me at the moment), where police park their cars, funnel traffic to one or two lanes, and ask for ID from all cars passing through. I've only ever seen this done at highway on-ramps or major roads on nights notorious for drinking. With those, anybody driving on the road would be stopped, even if they followed every law.

0xdeadb00f 5y ago
"Traffic stops" the term you're looking for? Or is that a different thin?