Sheriff's 'STOPPED' Program Tells Parents On Teen Driving

The world is becoming that much smaller for Macomb County's teen drivers with Sheriff Anthony Wickersham adopting STOPPED and increasing his office's means to enforce teen safety behind the wheel.

STOPPED, or Sheriffs Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers, is a statewide program designed to encourage teens to drive safely by offering the added deterrent of parent notification when that teen is "stopped" by police for any reason. 

“This will give deputies an alternative enforcement action when encountering young drivers," Wickersham said, in a prepared statement.

Parents can register their teen's vehicle online at www.michigansheriff.com and a STOPPED sticker will be mailed to their home to be placed on the vehicle’s windshield. The sticker serves as a visible reminder to the young driver that should the he or she be pulled over for any reason, his or her parents will receive a letter from the sheriff's office regarding the incident.

The notification feature makes parents aware of any potential problems and allows them to adjust their teen's driving privileges as needed.

Information in the letter includes the time, location, number of passengers, reason for the stop and whether a citation was issued.

“There is nothing more important to a parent than the protection of their children,” said Michigan Sheriff's Association Executive Director Terrence L. Jungel in a prepared statement. “Sheriffs and all of law enforcement understand this and we are here to help you any way we can.”