It’s a stressful experience. You look up and see the blue and red lights in your rearview mirror. With any luck, it’ll be a relatively straightforward interaction with the police. However, you should know that law enforcement may do any of the following while you’re pulled over on the side of the road. 

A police officer can do any of the following at a traffic stop

Request that you exit the vehicle

There’s a chance you’ve seen the videos of drivers refusing to roll down their windows or exit their vehicles upon request. According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a police officer may “ask you to exit the vehicle. The AAMVA recommends that you “keep your hands visible, exit the vehicle, and stand in a location as directed by the officer.”

Search your vehicle if anything illegal is in plain sight

The Fourth Amendment protects you against unlawful search and seizure. However, if a police officer sees something that constitutes probable cause of a crime, like drug paraphernalia, they may search your car. 

Direct you to hang up your phone call or turn down your stereo

It might seem silly or obvious, but a police officer can, and very well may, direct you to turn off your music or hang up your phone call.

Christopher Hawk, a first responder with over 30 years of experience, advised readers on Quora that in addition to orders to stay in or exit a car, an officer may “otherwise direct a vehicle occupant’s actions, such as ordering the driver to end a phone call or turn off the car’s engine.”

Hawk’s advice was echoed by criminal justice technology consultant Tim Dees. Dees hazards that drivers shouldn’t “pick this moment to engage in a cell phone conversation,” referring to a traffic stop. 

Order you to turn off your engine

A traffic stop can easily take longer than 15 minutes. As such, you may already know that it’s a good idea to shut off your engine. However, if you neglect to shut off your vehicle, a police officer may order you to turn off your car. 

Search your vehicle as part of the automobile exception to the Fourth Amendment

Although the Fourth Amendment protects citizens from unlawful and unreasonable searches, there’s an exception. It’s the “mobile conveyance” exception, also referred to as the “automobile exception to the amendment.

Under this exception, police may search a car without a warrant. That is, as long as they have cause to do so and the vehicle is in running, working order.

If you think your rights have been violated at a traffic stop, do your best to remember and record every detail. The ACLU recommends that you seek medical attention immediately if necessary, and then file a complaint with the department’s internal affairs (IA) division.