In the big house: Bill educates drivers on traffic stops

People get pulled over everyday, but not everyone knows what to do when the red and blue lights fill their rear view mirror. For new drivers, Indiana Senate Bill 27 aims to make these answers clear.
According to the digest of the bill, those policies include “(1) the procedures of a law enforcement officer during a traffic stop; and (2) the actions a person should take during a traffic stop, including appropriate interaction with a law enforcement officer.”
Definitions behind the procedures of a police officer and appropriate interaction from a driver were left out of the bill and would likely be a part of the consultation between the commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Indiana State Police which is required by the bill.
In addition to being included in the policies of driver education in the state, the bureau of motor vehicles will also have to include the same procedures in their driver education manual.
Sen. Lonnie Randolph, the author of the bill, has tried to bring the bill to the senate’s floor several times now, but each year he has been unable to receive a hearing.
“Absolute power definitely corrupts,” Randolph said when referring to why the bill had yet to reach the floor. “There's no legitimate reason why the bill should not be set for a hearing and heard because the bill promotes the best interest of the state of Indiana in terms of allowing law enforcement officers exactly how they should conduct themselves during a traffic stop.”
Information about what actions to take during a traffic stop based on each state can be hard to find but there are resources out there.
The American Automobile Association offers brochures for “Safely Interacting with Law Enforcement on the Roadside” for $12.95 on their website. The AAA also has an online drivers education program tailored to Indiana at rates starting at $89.
The Indiana Public Defender Council, an official group of the Indiana State Government has a free and comprehensive list covering the rights that a citizen has, including what an individual should do when pulled over.
Though the IPDC’s website is thorough, it does leave gaps between how an interaction should go when pulled over.
“If the police want to search your car you can tell them no,” the IPDC’s website says. “If they search it anyway, try to stay calm, patient and still.”
Purdue Police Capt. Song Kang says that when you are pulled over, it is important to remain calm and use your common sense.
“We appreciate when people keep their hands still in the car and holding onto the steering wheel,” Kang said. “Or where we can see hands rather than as we're approaching, moving around side to side reaching for something. You may have just simply dropped your cell phone onto the floor or dropped your water bottle, but we don't know that as we're walking.”
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