Driver Safety Education Blog

As a parent of teenage drivers, I think the STOPPED (Sheriffs Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers) program is an excellent choice to help young drivers stay safer at the wheel.

Implemented in Michigan by the Sheriffs' departments and supported by the Michigan AAA, the Sheriffs Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers program allows families to register cars with the department, which will supply red windshield decals.
If a registered car is stopped with someone younger than 21 at the wheel, the officer will fill out a card with details of the stop, the number of people in the vehicle, the reason for the stop and whether any tickets were issued. Notifications will be mailed or e-mailed to parents. Sheriff Vincent DeMarco of Norfolk County in Long Island said the program will give parents "greater control and peace of mind." "The idea is to keep parents in the loop with young drivers who have done something they shouldn't be doing," he said. The goal of keeping parents and children in touch about what happens on the road also supports the message of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

More Information

How It Works

Parents simply register their vehicle online at the Michigan Sheriffs' Association website and a STOPPED sticker is mailed to their home to be placed on the vehicle’s windshield. It serves as a visible reminder to the young driver to drive safely and responsibly, and that should he or she be pulled over for any reason, the parents will receive a letter regarding the incident. The notification feature makes parents aware of any potential problems and enables them to enforce rules they have set regarding teenage driving privileges. Information in the letter includes the time, location, number of passengers, reason for the stop and whether a citation was issued.

Notification Procedures

If the vehicle is stopped for a traffic violation, Officers simply fill out the STOPPED fact sheet and fax it to the Michigan Sheriff’s Association, providing information on the traffic stop. Officers also include the tracking number from the sticker. The Sheriff’s Association office will then generate a letter to the person who registered their car in the STOPPED program to alert them of the contact their vehicle had with the police department.

The program is free.

You can read more at the Michigan Sheriffs' Association website. Click on the STOPPED logo.

Drive safe...

Cheers - Mike