Do I need to leave a vehicle if a police officer asks me? Do i need to answer questions if stopped?

trinidadone

Thanks all for the advice of the legal stance regarding producing documentation when traveling in a vehicle.

I have two further questions for fellow Moneysavers:

1) If I am traveling in a car, and I am stopped and a police officer asked me to leave the vehicle, and I obliged to do so?

2) If a police officer stops me in my vehicle or on the street, am I obliged to answer a police officers questions?

unforeseen

1. If you don't then you are not going much further in your journey.

2. See 1.

Refusing both of those is an immediate Attitude Test fail and things will just get worse

neilmcl

You don't have to do anything at the roadside but if you fail to comply with their requests, or otherwise "fail the attitude test", then you risk being arrested on suspicion of further offences.

Nasqueron

Just remember that anything you read from so called "freeman of the land" or "sovereign citizens" is the opposite of what you should do.


In the UK you're generally expected to get out of the car for the police, however in the US as an example, they expect you to stay in the car, if you get out they may bring guns out as they are suspicious of you.

EdGasketTheSecond

2) you are not obliged to answer but anything you say may be taken down and used as evidence. I think now not answering can also be taken negatively against you.

neilmcl

Nasqueron wrote: »

Just remember that anything you read from so called "freeman of the land" or "sovereign citizens" is the opposite of what you should do.


In the UK you're generally expected to get out of the car for the police, however in the US as an example, they expect you to stay in the car, if you get out they may bring guns out as they are suspicious of you.

Only when requested. The last thing the police want you to do is get out of the car before they've had a chance to approach you.

System

There's an attitude test usually involved with roadside stops. The officer is doing their job and they're a human being so there's no need to be a prat about it and if you're a prat and they happen to be having a bad day then they're likely to not exercise the leniency they could do and do it your way and carry the stop out to the letter. If you go all "freeman of the land" about it they're perfectly within their rights to arrest you and take you down to the police station to confirm your identity.

Sometimes I've got out of my vehicle, other times I haven't and that doesn't seem to make much of a difference as officers understand some people may be nervous and usually they won't ask you to unless they think there is a risk of you driving off. But starting to go all "I'm not telling you my name, I've not done anything wrong" just won't end up well. Police have the power to stop anyone in any road vehicle at any time and they don't need a reason to do that.

prowla

The way I see it is if the police stop you then they are doing their job; if you've done nothing wrong, then help them out and let them get on with things and they'll maybe stop someone else who has.

AndyMc.....

neilmcl wrote: »

You don't have to do anything at the roadside but if you fail to comply with their requests, or otherwise "fail the attitude test", then you risk being arrested on suspicion of further offences.

What further offences?

neilmcl

AndyMc..... wrote: »

What further offences?

Any offence they have reasonable suspicion you may be guilty of committing and attempting to cover up by not cooperating at the roadside, eg, alcohol, drugs offences etc, or simply failing to supply documents.

onomatopoeia99

trinidadone wrote: »

2) If a police officer stops me in my vehicle or on the street, am I obliged to answer a police officers questions?

If stopped while driving, you are obliged to provide your name and address and that of the owner of the vehicle (though since there is no register of the owners of vehicles in the UK, how they check this is unclear).


If stopped while walking, you are only obliged to provide your name and address if the officer suspects you of an offence or you are arrested. If stopped under a "stop and account" you can just walk away, the police have no power to detain you and "no comment" is a valid answer to any question. You are also not obliged to answer questions during a stop and search.