How To Be Sure It's A Real Cop Pulling You Over

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police in Braintree Massachusetts arrested a man who had painted his Maserati black and white with a police style shield on the doors for impersonating a police officer, even though he never attempted to pull anyone over.

Just the dream of every eight-year-old boy, it's a Maserati and a police car, VROOM, VROOM! Not that most people who impersonate the police are so sophisticated, but they do sometimes actually look the part. So, how do you know if the car pulling you over is an actual officer and what should you do if you're not sure?

In many states like New York, the law says only marked cars can pull people over, but even if that's not the law in your state, genuine police cars don't usually use just a single siren but instead have a sophisticated light system that causes several sirens as well as the headlights to flash in tandem. If you still can't tell, police advise you to get to the shoulder in a well lit area, if possible, with your hazards blinking and then dial 911 before opening the door to check with the dispatcher. But, if it's a Maserati that pulls you over you might want to see what the gentleman wants.