Helping drivers with autism navigate traffic stops

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The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles has gone statewide with a new program aimed at helping drivers with autism.

 

The Blue Envelope program is a new DMV service that works to facilitate smooth and effective communication between neurodivergent drivers and law-enforcement officers.

 

According to Walter Craddock, administrator for the DMV, the program gives drivers who are on the autism spectrum a way to keep their license, registration and proof of insurance in one convenient place – a blue envelope that includes driver directions on what to expect in a traffic stop.

 

And just as important, that blue envelope tells law-enforcement officers that a driver may be dealing with diagnosed difficulties involving disruption and mental processing.

 

“Whenever we do things that can assist individuals and [make] encounters with law enforcement efficient and effective, whatever we can do to move that along, I think is very, very important,” Craddock said.

 

The blue envelope also has important information for police officers on how to work with a neurodivergent driver and shares tips on different signs to recognize and ways to make the interaction run smoother.

 

The program gained traction when two state legislators were inspired to propose it thanks to a Westerly high school student who had learned about similar programs while researching for his senior project.

 

Rep. Samuel A. Azzinaro and Sen. Victoria Gu proposed a bill to create the program. The legislation was approved by the General Assembly in June 2024.

 

Some police departments had already adopted a Blue Envelope program before the General Assembly had approved the legislation.

 

Craddock believes five police departments implemented it on their own – Central Falls, North Kingstown, Narragansett, Bristol and Cranston.

 

According to Cranston Police Capt. Justin Dutra, the department has issued approximately 60 blue envelopes since the start of the program. He is hopeful that with support from the DMV more drivers will take advantage of the envelopes.

 

Craddock says there’s been interest from the police chiefs’ association to include police departments as supplemental locations where people can get the blue envelopes. It is something he is considering, depending on how the program goes.

 

An item that Craddock said they added to the program is a contact card. It serves as a way for a police officer to reach an emergency contact if there is an issue and avoids having to ask the driver directly whom they should call should the need arise.

 

“If you have somebody that's on the autism spectrum, their anxiety level is going to be much, much higher,” Craddock said. “So, anything we can do to help defuse that and make it a simpler transaction.”

 

Joanne Quinn likes the Blue Envelope idea and says it is a more subtle way to get information across to law enforcement.

 

Quinn serves as the executive director for The Autism Project, a local nonprofit agency that works to improve the lives of people with autism. The group works on teaching others how to understand autism and how to engage better with individuals who have autism.

 

She said the Blue Envelope program is a way to tell law enforcement to slow down a bit and recognize they must approach this situation a little differently.

 

“The fact that this is voluntary is very important,” Quinn said. “I think that [it gives] peace of mind, because our people are just as capable, the majority, of being out and driving. But sometimes in stressful situations we may not be able to regulate as quickly. But if they know the difference, it can lead to better engagement and understanding.”

 

“It’s an important support, [a] way to communicate non-verbally that you will need some help and the way to help,” Quinn said.

 

Anyone can opt into the program; a blue envelope can be picked up at the DMV office in Cranston or at any DMV office, or at AAA offices if you’re a member.

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