On country roads, the places where traffic police crews most often wait in anticipation of violators are usually predictable. In the city, such points change – sometimes for non-obvious reasons.
How are ambush locations chosen?
The strategy is simple: the police look for places where there is the highest chance of catching either a drunk driver or an offender who can be deprived of his license. Also, the priority is to check taxi drivers and car sharing for problems with documents.
The best places for this are “bottlenecks” — areas with heavy traffic and limited space for maneuvering. For example:
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exits from residential areas (especially if there are only 3-4 of them);
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local highways connecting areas.
Crews are most often on duty here in the morning and at night, when the flow of cars is at its maximum, and along with it, the number of violators.
Work tactics
Sometimes the police organize local raids, blocking all exits from the area. But more often they use the “nomadic” method: 2-3 cars are on duty in one place for 30-60 minutes, then move on.
If you see that car-sharing cars, taxis or SUVs have gathered around a patrol car, this is most likely a special raid for specific violations (for example, checking the documents of taxi drivers). At such moments, drunk drivers may not be touched.
The element of surprise
Experienced drivers know the “dangerous” spots, so the traffic police are on duty without a strict schedule to maintain the element of surprise. If the driver is nervous (brake abruptly, jerk the steering wheel), this immediately attracts the inspector’s attention.
To enhance this effect, the crews sometimes hide in unexpected places:
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behind sharp turns or buildings;
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near night clubs and bars – where there is a high chance of catching drunk drivers.
Night raids on major highways
Sometimes on wide roads several crews gather and stop almost every car . Such “total checks” help to identify:
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drunk drivers;
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non-payers of fines;
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drivers with forged documents for car sharing.
Conclusion: if you want to avoid meeting with the traffic police – watch your behavior on the road, avoid sudden maneuvers and remember the typical places of ambushes.
