Stops for minor traffic infractions lead to unnecessary contact with the criminal legal system. For Black people, that contact isn’t just a nuisance—it’s often traumatic and sometimes deadly.
Study after study shows that Black drivers are significantly more likely than white drivers to be pulled over and searched for the same infractions.
These types of traffic stops aren’t effective. Nearly all stops, whether in a car or on the street, do not result in the discovery of contraband or weapons. Devoting resources to these offenses—tinted windows, a missing inspection sticker, an air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror—does not create greater public safety. It simply puts communities at risk.
We need to:
- Acknowledge the racial inequity in low-level non-public safety traffic stops.
- Prioritize the safety and well-being of Black people by limiting unnecessary police interaction.
- Institute policies that reduce or eliminate these stops altogether.
Add your name and join Vera as we demand police chiefs and prosecutors eliminate non-public safety traffic stops.