If you get pulled over by the police, the officer will approach you and ask a number of questions. They will probably start by asking for your license and registration. But the questioning could go beyond that, and many drivers feel that they are obligated to answer.
But are you? Generally, you have no obligation to answer and you can use your legal right to remain silent. You do have to provide identification in the form of a driver’s license to show that you are legally allowed to operate the vehicle. You may also need to provide documentation like your license and registration. But while you shouldn’t deny this to the police officers, remember that you don’t have to answer further questions or requests for more information.
Police may try to get you to incriminate yourself
The thing to remember is that a police officer may try to get you to say something that would be incriminating. If they think that you were breaking the speed limit, they may ask if you know how fast you were driving. This is to establish that you were doing it intentionally. If the officer suspects that you are under the influence, they may ask if you’ve had anything to drink tonight. This is to get an admission that can be used to determine impairment.
Whether or not you’ve done these things is irrelevant. You don’t want to say something that would incriminate yourself, even accidentally and even when you know you’ve done nothing wrong. That’s why it’s so important to understand all of your legal rights during a traffic stop and after arrest.