Sterling Heights police are preparing vulnerable people for traffic stops. Here's how.

What looks like a routine traffic stop is actually part of additional driver training done by police in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

"I really don't know how to describe it; it's a dream come true," said Lucas Crescentini.

Lucas Crescentini is a karate-loving teenager. He just got his driver's license and saved up his money to buy his first car. But his current new driver fear is a little different, with him having autism.

"Trying to, like, understand what might happen and what's happening around you because it's wired differently for me, personally," said Lucas Crescentini.

"We just have to trust their instinct, trust their intuition and let them explore," said Lucas's father, Luciano Crescentini. 

That's why Luciano Crescentini reached out to the Sterling Heights Police Department.

"We have the resources. We have this program, and as you can see, it's very beneficial," said Lieutenant Aaron Susalla with the Sterling Heights Police Department.

It's called the SAVES Project. Through it, police officers create situations to teach those with special needs what to expect if they were to be pulled over.

For Lucas Crescentini, the officer he worked with was his high school resource officer.

Drivers are given a blue envelope to put their insurance and vehicle registration in to alert officers that the driver has special needs, and a bumper sticker that police can spot on the road.

"It makes me feel a little more prepared for the future," said Lucas Crescentini. 

The program has put his parents at ease.

"I definitely feel better and I definitely feel more relieved that he's going to know what to do. I was nervous that if he got pulled over with his autism that he was going to be nervous and scared, and the police officers wouldn't understand," said Luciano Crescentini.

Lieutenant Aaron Susalla wants the community to know their officers are well-trained to recognize these situations on the road.

"What it looks like is the officers can identify that, and they have the ability to safely conduct a traffic stop and bring down the tension in those kinds of situations," said Susalla.

The police department hopes to host more students through the program. Contact the Sterling Heights Police Department if you are interested.