Northwest Cycle Report

Motorcycle Traffic Stop Etiquette

By John Davis • Jan 3rd, 2007 • Category: Safety

What is the proper etiquette for being pulled over on a motorcycle?

This question came up on Ask MetaFilter and I was interested to see what you all think. Do you stay on the bike? Remove your helmet? Do nothing until instructed by the LEO?

What’s worked for you?

John Davis is the owner, editor and publisher of Northwest Cycle Report. John also owns and writes for MotoSkagit.com and is the administrator for the Washington 120 State Park Tour. In addition to his own sites, John is a contributing author for MotorcycleLife.com and Motorcyclebloggers.com. He lives in Mount Vernon, WA and rides a candy-red Honda VTX1800 Retro.
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Bryan Townsend 1 year ago 1 point
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Personally I get off the bike, remove my helmet and my sunglasses, and start removing the seat to retrieve the registration and insurance proof they're gonna ask for. Once they see I'm not some young kid they usually let me go with a warning.

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Nightrain 1 year ago 1 point
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The best approach is pull over right away when they light you up. Be polite and apologetic (grovel). Plead ignorance, "I didn't realize how fast I was going, Officer!" Another great way to avoid a ticket is to maintain a clean driving record, because they will check. This means fight all your tickets and hire an attorney if necessary. If you have a good record, and you weren't doing anything extremely stupid, there's an excellent chance they will let you go with a warning.

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