I don’t understand left side
approaches. Maybe it’s because I was always
taught to make my approaches on the right or maybe it’s something else, but I see absolutely ZERO benefit to making them. You
may have your opinions about them, but let me be blunt; left side approaches
don’t work and they put you in
far greater danger. Left side approaches are just plain dumb.
Yes,
I said it. If you took offense to it, that is unfortunate, but do I have your
attention, because you need to listen. I work for a state wide agency and I make a
LOT of traffic stops. In the almost two decades of work I have made literally thousands,
I think that qualifies me to know what I am talking about in this particular
matter. It still blows my mind when I see officers walking up on the left side
of a car during a traffic stop on the freeway (highway, interstate, whatever you
call it in your area). To make it worse, many of these officers then stand
there conducting business with their back to traffic. It’s enough to send me into convulsions. Why would you stand there, with
your back to traffic and not know what the hell is bearing down on you at
freeway speeds? (Even if it is slower traffic, do you want to get hit by a
vehicle at any speed?!) Why would you put yourself in a position where you have
about six inches of space to react to anything the violator does? Why would you
give the violator all the space and options to confront you and put yourself at
a disadvantage? WHY?
The
vast majority of people you stop are going to be looking over their left
shoulder for you when you walk up, they are planning on it, and they are
waiting for you. Don’t be predictable. Use the
right side to make your approach on your traffic stop. The right side will keep
you out of traffic and leave you plenty of room to maneuver if you need to make
some space between you and the violator. If that person does try to engage you
as you walk up, you have their whole car in between you and them for some good
cover…whether they get out and try to charge you or a gun fight develops, space and distance are your friend. The
right side approach gives you both of these. The left side approach, well you
just make yourself a big fat target. Think about this, from the left side of
their vehicle they simple have to have their arm folded across their chest
(assuming most folks are right handed, and they are), holding a gun pointed out
the driver’s side window, you won’t see it until their booger hook is pulling the bang switch, it’s too late at that point. Now, think about the right side, they’re going to have to somehow extend their hand across the passenger
compartment of their vehicle, while holding that gun, before they can get a
shot off at you. And it will take very long arms indeed for them to get a hold
of you from the driver’s seat when you are standing
outside the passenger window if they want to go hands on. Right side approach
equals advantage YOU.
As
I wrote this, I started thinking that this is some pretty basic stuff that “everyone” should know. But if
everyone knows this, why does it keep happening? Left side approaches have no
benefits and many drawbacks, why do we keep doing them? Sure, sometimes there
is a reason to make a left side approach, maybe it’s a DUI stop, you’re on a quiet residential
street and you need to check out that odor of alcohol on the breath. Yes, there
are times and places where I can understand a left side approach. However,
those are far and few between and the freeway is almost NEVER a time or place
for one. Get off the left side of vehicles, use a right side approach, it’s safer and you’ll have a far longer career.
Think about it, I’m right on this one. If you
think I’m not, I’d like to understand your reasoning, I just don’t see it.
Stay
Safe out there.
Original content by Michael McCarthy, posted to his Blog: The Highway Ranger.
