For deaf or hard-of-hearing drivers, being pulled over by police can cause more anxiety than just getting a ticket.

The worry: The officer approaches the car, the driver doesn’t respond to commands, and the situation escalates.

That’s one reason many states, including Oregon, are setting up ways to alert law enforcement that a driver is deaf or hard of hearing – before an officer approaches the driver.

As of Monday, Oregonians can add an indicator that they are deaf or hard of hearing to their vehicle registration, driver license, permit or ID card through DMV2U.Oregon.gov.

The option places an indicator on their record, allowing Oregon officers to see the indicator from their patrol vehicles when they run the license plate or license number.

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