Everyday Dialogues

Talking to the
Traffic Police
In this lesson, you will learn useful vocabulary and
expressions related to traffic violations. You will
practise being a traffic officer and a driver.

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. What does a traffic police officer do?

2. W
 hat are some situations where a driver would
have to talk with the traffic police?

3. H
 ave you ever been pulled over by a police officer?
Describe your experience.

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match the words on the left to the correct meanings on the right.

C 1. licence a) the storage area at the front of a vehicle on the passenger side

D 2. registration b) an area where crews are doing road work

A 3. glove compartment c) the card that shows a driver has the legal right to drive

G 4. pull someone over d) the document that shows a vehicle is legal to drive

H 5. speed limit e) to secure in a vehicle with a seat belt

B 6. construction zone f) to leave a difficult situation with a better result than expected

J 7. fine g) to indicate that a driver should move to the side of a road and stop

E 8. buckle up h) the maximum speed a vehicle is allowed to travel in a specific area

I 9. ticket i) a document that notes details of a traffic violation

F 10. get off easy j) money charged for breaking a law

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 Talking to the Traffic Police
Everyday Dialogues

Dialogue Reading
Read the dialogue with your partner a few times. Take turns
being each character. Practise your intonation and pronunciation.
Circle any new words or phrases that you need to review.

Officer: Licence and registration, please.

Driver: Here’s my licence. May I get my registration out of the glove compartment?

Officer: Yes. Do you know why I pulled you over?

Driver: No, I don’t.

Officer: You were going 113 kilometres an hour, Mr. Lee.

Driver: I thought I was going the speed limit, ma’am.

Officer: Do you know what the speed limit is here?

Driver: I believe it is 100 kilometres per hour. That is the last sign I saw.

A road crew is painting the lines today. The posted speed limit in the
Officer:
construction zone is 60 kilometres per hour.

Driver: I understand, officer.

Officer Are you aware that the fine for speeding in a construction zone is doubled?

Driver: No, I was not aware of that.

Officer: Road signs are posted for your family’s safety. Is everyone buckled up back there?

Yes, they are wearing seat belts. I’m sorry they are upset. I have never been pulled
Driver:
over before.

Good. I’m going to write you a ticket for going 20 kilometres over the speed limit today.
Officer:
Next time you won’t get off so easy. Is that clear, Mr. Lee?

Driver: Yes, ma’am.

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 Talking to the Traffic Police
Everyday Dialogues

Practice
Work with your partner. Role-play the dialogue on page 2,
substituting some of the different expressions below. Then switch roles.

1. Licence and registration, please.
• I need to see your licence and registration.
• Show me your licence and registration.
• ID and registration.
2. Here is my licence.
• I’m sorry, I don’t have my licence on me.
• I’m afraid I forgot my wallet at home.
• I think my licence has expired.
3. Do you know why I pulled you over?
• Do you know what this traffic stop is about?
• Did you do anything wrong back there?
• Do you know what your traffic violation is?
4. You were going 113 kilometres per hour.
• You were following the car in front of you
too closely.
• You made an improper lane change.
• Your taillight is not working.
• You were using your mobile phone while driving.
5. Do you know what the speed limit is here?
• Do you know how fast you were going?
• Do you know what I clocked you at?
• Did you forget to stop back there?
• Did you know that you went
through a stop sign?
• Can you tell me why you failed to stop
at the red light?
• Were you using your mobile device
while driving?
 re you aware that the fine for speeding in a
6. A
construction zone is doubled?
• you’re driving in a school zone?
• the speed limit is 30 on the off-ramp?
• texting while driving is against the law?
7. Road signs are posted for your family’s safety.
• The rules are there for a reason.
• The law is there to protect you.
• Traffic laws save lives.
• It’s your duty to know the traffic laws.
• Speed kills.
8. Is everyone buckled up back there?
• Does everyone have their seat belts on?
• Are there any drugs or alcohol in the vehicle?
• Are there any weapons in the vehicle?
9. I’m going to write you a ticket.
• let you off this time.
• leave you with a warning today.
• ask you to do a roadside breath test.
• need you to step out of the vehicle.
• need to search your car.
• have to put you under arrest.
• suspend your licence.
• impound your car overnight.
10. Is that clear?
• Are we clear?
• Do you understand?
• Do you have any questions?

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 Talking to the Traffic Police
Everyday Dialogues

Listening Practice
Listen to the recording. Fill in the missing words as you listen.
Listen again. Now look back at page 2 and check your work. Did
you fill in the correct words? Did you spell everything correctly?

registration
Officer: Licence and               , please.

Driver: Here’s my licence. May I get my registration out of the glove compartment?

Officer: Yes. Do you know why I pulled you over?

Driver: No, I don’t.

Officer: You were going 113 kilometres an hour, Mr. Lee.

Driver: I thought I was going the speed limit, ma’am.

Officer: Do you know what the speed              

limit is here?

Driver: I believe it is 100 kilometres per hour. That is the last sign I saw.

A road crew is painting the lines today. The posted speed limit in the
Officer:
construction zone is 60 kilometres per hour.

Driver: I understand, officer.

Are you aware that the              

fine for speeding in a construction
Officer
zone is doubled?

Driver: No, I was not aware of that.

Road signs are posted for your family’s safety.

Officer:
Is everyone              
buckled up back there?

Yes, they are wearing seat belts. I’m sorry they are upset. I have never been pulled
Driver:
over before.

Good. I’m going to write you a ticket for going 20 kilometres over the speed limit today.
Officer:
Next time you won’t get off so easy. Is that clear, Mr. Lee?

Driver: Yes, ma’am.

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 Talking to the Traffic Police
Everyday Dialogues

Write Your Own Dialogue

Work with a partner. Write a dialogue between a driver and a traffic police
officer. The driver committed a traffic violation. Use phrases from page 3.
Practise and present the dialogue to your class. Your classmates will have
to answer the questions from Task 1 on page 6. Make sure to include this
information in your dialogue.

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 Talking to the Traffic Police
Everyday Dialogues

Review
Task 1

LISTEN & ANSWER

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the questions.

Your teacher will tell you if you have to write or say the answers.

1. Where does the conversation take place?

2. What documents does the police officer request?

3. What was the driver’s traffic violation?

4. What does the police officer ask about the passengers?

5. Why do you think the driver asked if it was okay to reach into the glove compartment?

6. Why do you think the officer goes easy on this driver?

Note
To be/go easy on means to be lenient (the officer wrote a ticket for only 20 kilometres over the speed limit). The opposite
is to be hard on.

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 Talking to the Traffic Police
Everyday Dialogues

Review cont.
Task 2

QUESTIONS & RESPONSES

A. Traffic Officer

Write five things a traffic officer might say after pulling a driver over for a traffic violation.
Use vocabulary from this lesson.

Ex. Do you know why I pulled you over today?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

B. Driver

Write five responses to the questions or statements you wrote above.

Use vocabulary from this lesson.

Ex. No, I don’t know, sir.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Task 3

ROLE-PLAY

Find a partner. Imagine that one of you is a traffic officer and one of
you is a driver. Use vocabulary and expressions you learned to do a
role‑play for your teacher that takes place on the side of a highway.

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