The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program and nonprofit Dedication to Community are launching a new initiative to make law enforcement traffic stops safer.
The Traffic Stop Safety Initiative prepares young drivers for traffic stops through driver education courses and community workshops. Over one million traffic stops occur in North Carolina each year. Hundreds of stops result in the use of force.
“For teens and new drivers, a traffic stop can be one of the most anxiety-inducing experiences they will ever face,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Dr. Shaun Ward said.
Quentin Williams, CEO of Dedication to Community, said the program also applies to federal law enforcement, such as immigration traffic stops.
“We say that you need to comply, and complain later. Do whatever you can to get home safely," Williams said.
The program will begin in Mecklenburg and Wake counties and expand throughout the state in the future.
