What is the extent of a frisk in vehicles limited to?

The extent of a frisk in vehicles is primarily limited to the passenger compartment and closed containers. This is based on the legal precedent of protecting officer safety while ensuring that searches remain reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures. When conducting a frisk, law enforcement officers are allowed to inspect areas where a person could hide a weapon, which includes the passenger compartment of the vehicle and any containers that could conceal such items.

The rationale behind this limitation is that officers need to ensure their safety and that of others when they suspect a person might be armed. However, the scope does not extend indiscriminately to all areas of the vehicle, such as the trunk, unless there is probable cause or consent for a more thorough search. This restriction helps balance the need for officer safety with the rights of individuals to be secure against undue intrusion in areas where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.