Some people seem to think they don’t have to answer an officer’s questions during a stop, including their identity or who owns the car. Withholding that information tends to raise suspicion, as it did during a stop that tipped officers off to two stolen Cadillac Escalades.
Refusing basic information often signals to police that something is amiss. The stop is a reminder that evasiveness during a traffic stop can quickly unravel a crime, leading to discoveries the driver hoped to hide.