The Supreme Court has ruled that an officer can ask you to step out of the car for their own personal safety.

The side benefit is that when you are out of the car, it will be easier to arrest you should they determine you committed a crime.

It is a good idea that if they tell you you need to get out of the car, get out of the car. But there is no law requiring you to answer every question that they throw at you.

You’ve already identified yourself through your license, your registration, and your insurance. That is far as the questioning goes that you do have to answer.

Get out of the car. Lock it behind you.

You can and should clearly state to the officer that you do not consent to any searches or seizures and will not answer any questions without a lawyer present.

This means any actions that the police officer takes from that point on are subject to scrutiny. The officer will have to prove in court that his actions were reasonable and justified.

It also gives your lawyer a better foothold in defending you in court.

If you refuse, you’ll have to defend why you thought it was unsafe for you to get out of the car. That opens you up to being questioned on the stand. Lawyers tend to want their clients not testifying, so they don’t end up incriminating themselves.

Know your rights. If possible, record the interaction. Clearly, calmly, and respectfully invoke your rights. If they tell you to get out of the car, get out of the car. By stating your intentions clearly and in compliance with the law, you control keeping the focus on the traffic stop at hand and not on feeding the officer more information that could lead to more charges.

Source: Quora