Pulled over: your rights at a traffic stop, plainly

A traffic stop has rules on both sides, and knowing yours keeps a bad night from becoming a worse year. You must provide license, registration, and insurance. You may decline to answer questions beyond identifying yourself, and the words are simple: "I am choosing not to answer questions." You may refuse consent to a search of your vehicle. Say it plainly and do not physically interfere if the search happens anyway; that fight belongs in court, not on the roadside. Field sobriety tests are generally voluntary, and they are graded by the person who already suspects you. Above all, be polite, keep your hands visible, and stop talking. Nothing you explain at the window has ever un-arrested anyone, but plenty of it has been read to juries.