SEARCHES & YOUR RIGHTS.

Any encounter with law enforcement is very serious and potentially life-changing, no matter how routine it may seem.

Even if you are the subject of a traffic stop for a minor violation, you should always be on your guard for the coming questions. Once you are restored of your license, insurance and, if taken, your vehicle registration, then you are free to leave. The stop is concluded. Everything from this point on is voluntary on your part. If there are requests to take "a quick look” in your car, please know that you have every right to say “No.”

Do not allow yourself to feel pressured or required to submit to any requests from law enforcement. Always be polite to law enforcement, but do not feel as though you must do every single thing a police officer asks you to do. Be clear in your refusal to allow a “quick look” inside your vehicle.