Right-sizing the role of traffic enforcement: Prioritizing effective, cost-efficient and equitable improvements to road safety (The Vision Zero Network)

The nation faces a road safety crisis, with the number of people killed and severely injured in traffic crashes rising significantly in recent years. The U.S. has the worst traffic death rate among 28 high-income countries.

At the same time, communities are grappling with reductions in police staffing levels and unrealistic expectations of law enforcement’s capacity.

Evidence shows that road safety efforts in the U.S. can achieve better results. This starts by assessing and updating strategies to be the most effective, cost-efficient and equitable. This report is intended to be a conversation starter and offers actions, particularly to local transportation professionals and police officers, to evaluate and, where needed, right-size the role of traffic enforcement to best meet public safety needs. The following is a summary of the recommendations:

Using a Safe System approach
Research and experience show that road safety strategies are most effective as part of a broad Safe System approach. This focuses on designing and operating systems in which traffic crashes are less likely to occur and, when they do occur, they are less severe. Recognizing that human error is inevitable, this approach prioritizes environments and systems that are more forgiving and that make safe behaviors the easiest options.

Benefits of upstream road safety strategies
Upstream efforts provide longer-lasting safety benefits and cost less over time, compared to over-relying on traffic stops. They are more equitable, less punitive and address cycles of disinvestment that contribute to poor safety and health outcomes and erode community trust.

A Safe System approach includes traffic enforcement, with strategies used selectively to optimize police time and to deliver the most effective, cost-efficient and equitable safety results.

Prioritizing Safety-Stops over Non-Safety Stops
To improve road safety, U.S. jurisdictions are increasingly limiting non-safety traffic stops, such as low-level administrative and equipment violations, which are not directly correlated to injury crashes. Among other benefits, this allows police to focus limited resources on genuine risks, including speeding, impairment and reckless driving.

Crash data shows that low-level infractions, such as mirror or windshield issues, are implicated in just 0.2% of fatal crashes nationwide. Research shows that traffic stops are not proven to reduce other crimes, rarely yield useful crime-solving information and create unnecessary flashpoints of confrontation that endanger both officers and road users.

Access the full article on The Vision Zero Network website.