Q: “Aimee, my cousin swears that if you say sorry to a traffic cop when you get pulled over, it helps your chances of not getting a ticket. Is that true? Or could it actually make things worse?”
A. Aimee says:
Here’s the honest answer: for traffic stops, yes, go ahead and say you’re sorry. I actually encourage my clients to do that when they get pulled over.
In cases like speeding tickets or rolling through a stop sign, these lower-level infractions, saying “sorry” isn’t legally risky. Officers have wide discretion and, as we know, they’re often weighing your attitude just as much as your speedometer. A genuine, respectful tone can tip the scale toward a warning instead of a citation.
Now, if we’re talking about more serious situations, accidents with injury, criminal charges, or anything involving insurance liability, that’s when you want to keep quiet and not say anything that sounds like you’re accepting blame. But a garden-variety speeding ticket? “I’m sorry, officer,” isn’t going to hurt you. It might even help.
So go ahead and be human. Be respectful. Say you’re sorry not because you're building a legal defense, but because you're a grown-up who knows when to own a small mistake. That’s just good citizenship.
And who knows? You might even drive away with a warning and a lesson instead of a fine. And not need my services! 🙂
