A specific traffic violation may get you a gift card instead of a ticket

SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. ( WMBB ) — Your next Walton County traffic stop could be the "ticket" to getting your vehicle repaired.

Driving through Walton County with a dim headlight or broken blinker signal would normally get you a ticket or at least a warning, but for the next few weeks, you could wind up with a $25 gift card from Advance Auto Parts to help fix your vehicle.

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"We often pull folks over who have equipment violations that don't have the opportunity or the money to fix it. This is a great thing that Advance Auto is doing to help fix that," Walton County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Allen Pullings said.

Advance Auto Parts has provided the Walton County Sheriff's Office with $1,500 worth of gift cards that can be redeemed at their Santa Rosa Beach store on Highway 98. When a deputy pulls over a driver for an equipment violation, he has the option to give them an Advance Auto Parts gift card instead.

"Those times where we can pull you over and we have someone that can't afford to fix a headlight or can't afford to fix a tail light or a bulb or just something equipment-wise, we have the opportunity to share with them that you can take this gift card and you can go correct it," Pullings said.

They're trying to help ease that financial burden. Sheriff's officials said they understand not everybody has the means to make expensive auto repairs nowadays.

"We get it. Times are hard. People are between jobs and just can't afford it. You can be a single parent. A lot of responses we get are 'I've got to wait until payday' or 'I can't afford to do it right now. I've got to put food on the table. I've got to pay for gas and car insurance.' This is just a great opportunity to get those issues corrected," Pullings said.

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Advance Auto Parts officials said they're happy they can help the sheriff's office keep the community safe.

"We definitely want to make sure the community's safe and make it something where the police are able to partner with their citizens and be able to keep safe vehicles, but not put them in a pinch if they're struggling financially," Advance Auto Parts District Manager Brenna Kellerman said.

Advance Auto Parts has partnered with 80 different law enforcement agencies nationwide for this initiative.