I have to assume the film was done back in the day those cars were new, or pretty close to it. Even the cap car was a 68 or 69 Olds. I did my car stuff 10 years later, things were different by then.

I worked in the gas station where most of our town cops had their personal cars serviced and tuned up. I knew most of them by their first names. The few time I actually got pulled over was a lecture time, with the cop talking to me through my car window, but most of the time those discussions took place at work a few days later. Most of our local cops and myself had a mutual agreement. I'd try not to do stupid stuff, and they would try to not have to pull me over. It worked out pretty good for me.