[h=2]Damage on your car[/h] A broken tail light lens is asking for a visit from a traffic cop. | Micah Wright/Autos Cheat Sheet



Any type of damage will encourage cops to pull you over and cite you, and safety concerns motivate the officers who do. For example, someone with a broken taillight or brake light presents a danger to drivers behind them.

More extreme cases, such as a bumper falling off, increase the chances a car part will land on the road and cause an accident. It’s a recipe for a traffic stop.

Easy ticket to write.

 

[h=2]Tailgating[/h] You aren’t going to get anywhere faster by tailgating. | iStock



If you took a poll and asked people what they hate the most about other drivers, many would mention tailgating. Following a car too closely causes stress for people and aggravates any driver who is a victim of it.

From a cop’s perspective, it’s a major safety hazard. When someone stops suddenly with another driver right behind them, accidents usually happen.

 

[h=2]Texting or otherwise using a smartphone[/h] A graffiti image of a skull holding a cell phone is painted on an underpass along the Pasadena Freeway. | David McNew/Getty Images



People are glued to smartphones more than ever, and unfortunately, this behavior continues while they drive. One Santa Monica traffic cop told Edmunds that people texting and otherwise using smartphones cause accidents every day there.

As a result, cops are always on the lookout for people staring down at their lap, and they’ll pull over anyone caught using a phone.

 

[h=2]Littering[/h] It’s amazing that people are still littering. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images



You might say littering is a double-edged sword. On the one side, you have the general offense of throwing garbage onto a public road rather than placing it inside a receptacle like a normal person. The other side is even worse: Littering creates hazards on the road that cause accidents. Cops will be quick to turn on the lights and pull you over if you toss your trash out the window.

 

[h=2]Swerving[/h] At best, swerving will attract police attention. At worst? A bad crash.| JEAN-CHRISTOPHE MAGNENET/AFP/Getty Images



How do you spot a drunk driver? According to lawyers writing for the Ohio Bar Association, cops look for various activities on the road. Among them are motorists moving back and forth between lanes and swerving to the left of the yellow lines.

People with high levels of alcohol in their system drive this way, and cops act swiftly to stop them from doing harm.

 

[h=2]Easiest ticket to write, hardest to fight in court, Speeding[/h] Speed limit signs in Texas | Rick Scibelli/Getty Images



Looking at the stats for crash deaths in America, you can see how speed kills. Just under 30% of road fatalities were speed-related in 2015, and about half of those came on highways with speed limits over 55.

Considering the risks to pedestrians, other motorists, and the speeders themselves, cops will move fast to get high-flying cars off the road. It’s begging for a ticket and a conversation with someone wearing blue.