There are some practices you might see officers engaging in on cop shows and wonder whether the real-life police do the same. The tail light touch is one example of an action they really did and do perform. During a traffic stop, the officer will first request that a given vehicle pull over. According to Cornell Law School, they may do so if they have “reasonable suspicion” that, for instance, the driver doesn’t have the proper documentation, or if there has been a traffic offense.
Exiting their own vehicles and approaching the driver, they may touch the back of the vehicle in question. Trooper Steve Montiero, of ClickOrlando’s Ask Trooper Steve series (which breaks down complex regulations regarding driving in the Orlando area), explains the twofold reason for this. The simple action, Montiero states, leaves identifying prints on the vehicle: “In case the driver decided to flee the scene, or if something happened to that officer, it ties both the vehicle and the officer together.”
In addition to that, it’s a quick security check in another way. Just as you might tap the refrigerator door as you pass to ensure you remembered to fully close it last time, Montiero explains that, in this context, “you want to make sure that no one is about to jump out of the trunk and that it’s properly secured.”
This is no mere superstition or anything like that. Tail light safety is paramount.
