I suggest to everyone to be polite and cooperate with the police during a traffic stop. Even if the officer does something you disagree with, you will have your day in court. The side of the freeway or street in not the place or time to settle it. If you make things hard for the officer he has many options of ways to make things hard for you. If you are polite he also has options to make thing a little easier for you. Some of those options are what to do with your car.
The officer has a few choices on what to do with your car after you are arrested. He can let one of your passengers drive off with it, he can leave it where it is parked, he can tow it for storage, or he can impound it. There are rules about which he can do, but officers know how to get around the rules.
Letting a passenger take it. If there is someone present who is sober and licensed and you agree, the officer may let someone else drive it home. This is the best thing that could happen for you.
Leave it where it is. This likely won't happen because it could create a liability issue for the police. But, if it is on your property it could happen and would be beneficial for you.
Storage. If the vehicle or its contents are not needed for evidence the officer can have it towed for storage. This means it will be held just until you can get there to claim it. This is what happened to me. It cost me $200 for the privilege of storing it there for about 10 hours while I was in jail. The charge is by the day so if your vehicle was stored it is wise to head over there right away and get your vehicle out. And if you don't have the cash they will be glad to hold it for you while the daily fees keep adding up.
Impound. If the vehicle or its contents may be needed for evidence the vehicle can be impounded. Who decides if it may be needed for evidence? The officer who arrested you, which is why it is a good idea to be polite. Impound means the vehicle will be held until the police are done searching for evidence. This will be several days. Before you get your car back you need to get a release from the police. This is why it is important for you to determine if your car is being stored or impounded when the police take it. If it was impounded do not go to the storage yard without that release, it will be a wasted trip for you. Get the release first, then go to the yard to pick it up. I don't know how much it costs, but be prepared to pay hundreds of $$ in fees to get it back.
That’s quite a useful advice which many people don’t know about yet. The first thing which everyone should learn is to be polite and cooperative with the cops. When I worked with a Los Angeles DUI attorney, I saw penalties and punishments getting compounded due to rude or rash behavior of those who were asked to undergo sobriety test.
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