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You're caught red-handed; a police car gets right up behind you, blasting his siren and flashing his lights— you're being pulled over. What should you do?

Esurance offers the following pointers you should follow if you're ever in this situation:

• Remain calm - which can be difficult since you'll probably end up with a citation and increased auto insurance rates— but it will make the incident go more smoothly.
  
  
• Put on your hazard lights - this will signal to the police officer that you're acknowledging him and you're planning to pull over.
  
  
• Pull over to a safe place as soon as possible - generally it's recommended that you pull over to the right-hand side of the road, however, if you're on a busy street or highway, this may be unsafe. Use good judgment to keep yourself and others safe from harm.
  
  
• Stay in your car and wait for instructions - the police officer may take a moment to get your license plate information, then he will approach you or give you instructions on what you should do next.
  
  
• Keep your hands visible - the police officer may feel threatened if your hands are hidden.
  
  
• Provide information when asked - make sure that you have your driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance with you. (If you carry Esurance auto insurance, you can print copies of your insurance cards online whenever you want.)
  
  
• Be respectful - the police officer will respond to you better if you're polite.
  
  
• Don't argue or pick fights - you'll have your chance to refute the ticket in court. And if the officer doesn't show up to your hearing, you could get out of the ticket entirely—meaning it won't show up on your driving record and affect your auto insurance rate.

Find out how traffic tickets affect your auto insurance rates by visiting our Auto Insurance Learning Center.