Officers wanting
to keep us on the road must follow strictly defined rules. However, there are
also a few rules that we must remember about. The basic question is whether the
police officer who wants to stop us is safety uniformed or not. In
conditions of good visibility, he can order us to stop using a vehicle stopper
(the so-called "lollipop"), or with a hand. If visibility is limited,
it must be a lollipop or a characteristic flashlight with red light.
All instructions
should be issued well in advance and in a way that allows the driver to notice
them and respond to them. The procedure is similar in the case of a
non-uniformed officer, but he can only stop us in the built-up area. However,
this does not change the fact that an attempt to stop by someone without a
uniform can arouse suspicion in us. If they are justified (we have the right to
believe that it may be someone impersonating a police officer), we can ignore
his orders, but we should immediately go to the nearest police station in order
to clarify the situation.
Motorized patrol
looks a little different - officers in reflective
vest can then use sound devices (and give us commands through
external speakers), light or signaling (similarly air patrol). Usually unmarked
cars have behind the rear window placed strip allowing to display subtitles -
in this way, police officers can give us the command to follow them (with the
"follow me" command) to the place chosen by them, where stopping will
be safe.
It is worth adding
that all orders should be issued well in advance and in a way that allows the
driver to notice them and react to them. Therefore, the police officer at the
last moment jumps out of the roadside greenery and runs on the road in
unacceptable situations. For obvious reasons, this behavior can lead to a
dangerous situation on the road. The officer must give us time to notice him
and stop safely at the place indicated by him. It can be designated with the
appropriate sign with the inscription "stop, roadside inspection.” Such a
place cannot threaten the safety of traffic and should not be subject to a ban
on stopping. However, if necessary, the police officer may order us to stop in
a prohibited place, but should activate the blue flashing light before starting
the inspection.
When we stop, we
should stay in the car with our hands on the steering wheel and wait for the
officer to come to us (turn off the engine, turn on the emergency lights, and
above all get off, only on a clear command). He should present himself and give
the reason for the detention (it is unacceptable to start the control with
questions or to guess what the reason is). The police officer can check our
documents and the vehicle, as well as check the driver's sobriety. However, a
search of a car is possible only if the officer has reasons for it (for
example, he received a report about a committed crime and a command to revise
stopped vehicles).
Let us also
remember that when a police officer in yellow vest wants to punish us with
a fine, we can refuse to accept him (the case will go to court). On the other
hand, if the officer behaves in a way that raises our doubts, we can record all
control (when a police officer performs his duties, he is a public figure, and
we do not violate his privacy) and file a complaint at the police station.
