Traffic stop 101.

• Author: Essex, Amanda
• Position: TRENDS

An addition to driver education is catching on in several states: how to interact with police during a traffic stop.

Knowing how to act during a stop helps both driver and officer feel safer and more at ease in what can be a stressful and occasionally dangerous situation.

Altercations following police stops resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people, including six officers, in 2015, according to the FBI and Washington Post database.

Illinois, in 2016, was the first state to pass legislation requiring driver education courses to include instruction on police procedures during traffic stops and what actions are appropriate for drivers to take during a stop. The Virginia General Assembly passed similar legislation this year.

Lawmakers in Alaska and Arkansas focused on training materials. Alaska's new law requires motor vehicle instructional manuals to cover drivers' rights and responsibilities when stopped by an officer. Arkansas also requires the written driver's license test to include questions on stops.

Legislatures in Louisiana, North Carolina and Texas also passed legislation this year requiring police stops to be part of driver education.

Texas' new law goes a step further th an the others by requiring traffic stops to be part of police training and public high school coursework. The curriculum must include the duties of police, the rights of the public, the proper actions for civilians and officers, how to file a complaint and more.

Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York and Rhode...