If you are involved in a traffic stop or if a police officer comes to your house, they could have a variety of questions for you. For instance, during a traffic stop, officers often ask where you are going, if you know why they stopped your car or if you have had anything to drink. An officer who comes to your home may ask questions aimed at getting you to permit them to come inside.
In both of these situations, though, you are fully within your rights to tell them you would not like to answer these questions. You have a right to remain silent, and you can use it at this time. It may be wise to be polite and explain this to the officer, rather than simply ignoring them, but the key is to remember that they cannot force you to answer.
Why would you choose to do this?
The main reason not to answer questions is simply that saying the wrong thing could be problematic. The officer may be trying to get you to incriminate yourself.
For example, maybe the officer wants to give you a breath test or a field sobriety test, but they do not actually have any evidence that you are impaired. If they ask you if you have had anything to drink that day, they could just be hoping that you will tell them that you did have a drink—even if it was hours ago and it is not affecting your driving. This could give them an excuse to give you the test.
It is also important to remember that you do not have to go through a police interrogation without legal counsel. You do have a right to an attorney. So even if you eventually decide to answer questions, you can tell the officer that you do not want to do so without your attorney at your side.
When talking with the police or facing arrest, it is important to understand all of your legal rights and the defense options you have moving forward.