Letter: Establishing new protocols could make traffic stops safer

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and the Illinois General Assembly should work together to improve police officer and motorist traffic stop safety. Giannoulias should consider printing two versions of motorists’ driver’s licenses to protect driver and police safety.

The licenses would be the same, but one would be marked as a “visor copy.” Motorists could store the license in a transparent, plastic sheet protector on the vehicle’s driver’s side sun visor. The motorist would keep their hands on the steering wheel at a traffic stop. The driver would inform the officer of the visor’s license copy location when asked to present identification. The motorist would obtain the officer’s permission before reaching for the license, insurance card, and registration card.

Illinois could become a model for the rest of the United States in regards to police and motorist interaction by re-engineering traffic-stop encounters. Safety would increase for drivers and police officers by having motorists reach for the sun visor rather than pockets, purses, or a vehicle’s center console or glove compartment. The state can make a stressful situation safer and more predictable by establishing a new protocol.

Brian Bartoz

Morrison