A ruse to manufacture an excuse to search the passenger compartment and trunk for guns or drugs.
My reaction to this would be they do not have permission to enter the vehicle or inspect the trunk. Only the external part of the vehicle....all their requirements for safety can be demonstrated by the driver (wipers, steering, lights, turn signals, etc.)
The license, registration and insurance stuff is perfunctory here in Georgia...you only have to carry a license...insurance, safety inspection, and registration are checkable from their comm link.
Don’t worry, they’ll have drug-sniffing dogs nearby that will magically “alert” any time they wish to search a vehicle thoroughly...