The envelope goes above the driver's side visor and tells drivers to place their hands on the steering wheel, point to their ear, shake their head "no" and put their driver's license in the envelope for the police officer.

The program is sponsored by the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, partnered with the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and the Connecticut Commission on the Deaf and Hearing Impaired. It was officially launched two weeks ago, said Murray Pendleton, chair of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association's Highway Safety Committee. Envelopes are at every police station in the state as well as some town halls and senior centers. The chiefs got the idea from a similar program in Virginia, he said.

In a memo to all of Waterford's police officers, Pendleton wrote, "Police officers are encouraged to stand so their lips can be seen while speaking ... writing short concise notes if necessary, and if issuing a written warning, infraction or summons allow the deaf/hard of hearing operator to view the completed document prior to ending contact with the individual."

Besides those born with hearing impairment, the population of senior drivers, said Pendleton, is growing at a rapid rate and larger than ever before and miscommunication is not uncommon.

"Taking that driver's license away, one of the last major benefits," he said, can be upsetting to seniors.

According to the state Department of Motor Vehicles, one in five drivers is hearing impaired.

By Julie Wernau