Best Practice Standards for Officer Roadside Safety

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Best Practice Standardsfor Officer Roadside
Safety
Sgt. Art AmatoUnion PD
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Best Practice Standards NOT applied to Field
Sobriety Tests
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Problem Identification

• Since 1998 more officers were killed
• by vehicles than by felonious weapons
• (excluding 2001).
• Steve Ashley, 12/06
• www.Officer.com

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Problem Identification

• As of 2006, 39 more officers were killed on
  duty in traffic-related incidents than
  feloniously killed in the last decade. Deaths
  resulted from auto accidents, motorcycle
  accidents, struck by vehicle, vehicle pursuits.
• IACP NHTSA

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Problem Identification
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5 Problematic RoadsideConditions

• 1. Traffic stops
• 2. Motorist assists
• 3. Stalled vehicles
• 4. Removing debris from roadway
• 5. Traffic Accidents

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CONTRIBUTING FACTORRoadside Activities

• Spend 10 times more time in their
• vehicles than ordinary drivers.
• 1000 times more likely to park on
• side of highway.
• 4 times more likely to be in accident.
• Ford Motor Co., 2005

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CONTRIBUTING FACTORManpower Budget Limitations

• 1. 90 of agencies under 50 officers
• 2. Half of 90 under 10 officers.
• 3. 83 cite budget constraints.
• 4. 26 lack technology training.
• 5. 14 cite lack of available training.
• NIJ LE Technology Study

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CONTRIBUTING FACTORFailure to Train

• Most All Departments require annual weapons
  qualification.
• Yet,
• Seldom, if ever, require EVOC training once
  completing basic academy training.
• Officers drive more than they shoot.
• Steve Ashley, 8/06 www.Officer.com

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CONTRIBUTING FACTORFailure to Train

• 1. Cant release officer to attend 2 day
  training cost/manpower prohibitive
• 2. Little or No Departmental Driving Training
• 3. Officers fail to review SOPs
• a. Emergency driving
• b. Pursuit

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RECOMMENDATIONSDrivers Training

• Complete program every 2-4 years.
• 2. Review policy, statute, case law.
• 3. Include defensive precision
• driving maneuvers exercises.

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RECOMMENDATIONDriver Training

• Off-years, complete annual refresher
• 1. Legal updates requirements.
• 2. Driving range officers practice
• basic driving skills.

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CONTRIBUTING FACTORSleep Deprivation

• Officer fatigue is a life-threatening issue.
  Approved napping should be
• on-duty necessity. Fatigue played
• significant role in at least 3 officer
• deaths in one state alone.
• Gordon Graham, 2007

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CONTRIBUTING FACTORSleep Deprivation

• Being awake for 18-20 hours resulted
• in roughly the same deterioration of
• performance for most subjects who
• have a BAC of .10.
• Brian Vila, Tired Cops

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Sleep Deprivation Can Cost You Your Life!

• 1. Drink caffeine drink early in shift.
• 2. Bodys re-boot cycle night shift workers hit
  bottom at 4-5 a.m.
• 3. Take short breaks throughout shift.
• 4. MOVE, get out of vehicle, walk, climb steps,
  breathe fresh air.

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Sleep Deprivation Can Cost You Your Life!

• 5. Look out for each other.
• 6. Dont leave tedious tasks for shifts end.
• 7. 20 minute naps revive alertness, mood,
  performance, concentration.
• 8. Heavy meals cause sluggishness.

Pamela Kulbarsh, RN, 2/07 www.Officer.com
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Reflective Clothing Safety Equipment

• In simulated work-zone, the average driver
  detected a pedestrian dressed
• In typical non-reflective clothing at 125 ft.
• One wearing reflective vest at 891 ft.
• At 35 mph, required stopping distance is 159 ft.,
  at 65 mph, 425 ft.

Richard Ashton, Retired Chief Out of
Shadows Into Visibility
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Reflective Clothing Safety Equipment

• These items should ALWAYS be in officers vehicle
  and immediately available
• Safety Vest contrasting color/brightness
• ANSI/ISEA 207-200x
• 2. Traffic baton or flashlight with cone.
• 3. Flares (Traditional or Electric)
• 4. Barrier tape create lanes or close off
  areas.

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Reflective Clothing Safety Equipment

• Traffic direction cones to mark lanes.
• Kwik Kones 4 in nylon bag, fold flat
• for easy storage and setup.
• 25.00

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Reflective Clothing Safety Equipment

• Optional Equipment to Consider
• 1. Folding Accident Ahead signs.
• Allow 500-900 ft. to slow/divert traffic.
• Review Standards outlined in the
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
• 2. Handheld Stop/Slow Signs

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Light SourcesGreatly Increase Visibility

• Traditional Mag Light
• Attaching a cone diffuses the light
• Not an intense blinding beam
• Increases visibility from a distance

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Light SourcesGreatly Increase Visibility

• 2. EMI LED light baton
• Traffic direction flashlight
• 3/4th mile visibility
• Runs 300 hours on 2-D batteries
• Weighs one pound
• Purchase with Block Grant

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Light SourcesGreatly Increase Visibility

• 3. Turbo Flares
• Highly visible in rain, fog, smoke.
• Safe for hazmat chemical spills.
• No sparks or flames
• Pays for self in 22 operational hours.
• Uses AA batteries.
• Purchase with Block Grant 565.00

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Light SourcesGreatly Increase Visibility

• 1. Light bar on Emergency Vehicle.
• 2. Multiple flashing red lights can
• distract confuse drivers in dark
• inclement weather.

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Equipped-Response Trailerfor Multiple-Vehicle
Accidents

• 1. Collapsible/Folding barricades

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Equipped-Response Trailerfor Multiple-Vehicle
Accidents

• 2. Stacking cones

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Equipped-Response Trailerfor Multiple-Vehicle
Accidents

• 3. Portable light tower
• illuminates 3.75 acres, 82,000 sq. ft.

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Equipped-Response Trailerfor Multiple-Vehicle
Accidents

• 4. Generator to power light-tower

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Equipped-Response Trailerfor Multiple-Vehicle
Accidents

• 5. Miscellaneous Traffic Safety Items

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SITE SELECTION VARIABLES

• Ignore the impulse to affect a
• stop when violation occurs.
• Immediacy matters far less than
• officer safety location.

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SITE SELECTION VARIABLES

• Officer vehicle facing opposite traffic
• flow can create confusion.
• 1. Light-bar can blind on-coming traffic.
• 2. Confused drivers can make wrong
• turns, causing accidents.

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SITE SELECTION VARIABLES

• Failure to clearly define lanes
• 1. Improper cone placement can
• cause confusing traffic patterns.
• 2. Kwik Cones let officer set up
• merge funnel areas.
• 3. Need 700 ft. to merge hwy traffic on normal
  two lane roadway

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7 Tips for Roadside Officer Safety - Traffic
Stops

• 1. YOU control traffic stop location.
• 2. Time your stop to take advantage of light and
  cover.
• 3. Use passenger side approach when possible.
• 4. Use steering wheel for writing.
• 5. Be prepared for wind/draft of passing
  vehicles.
• 6. Resist instantly retrieving dropped items.
• 7. Terrain surface, hillcrest, traffic,
  shoulder.
• Scott Buhrmaster www.policeone.com

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Rachel Fretz 10 Tips

• 1. Set up flares even in daylight.
• Drivers equate flares to accidents.
• 2. Give drivers long-distance indicator.
• 3. Wear Reflective/Striped traffic vest.
• 4. Use a cone with a flashlight.

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Rachel Fretz 10 Tips

• 5. Strap-on steel cleats for traction in
  icy/snowy weather.
• 6. Stay completely under an overpass for
  accidents that occur under an overpass.
• 7. Work from passenger side.

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Rachel Fretz 10 Tips

• 8. Off-set your vehicle to leave safe
• walk-way to drivers vehicle.
• 9. Motorist assist allow good distance
• between your vehicle theirs, allow
• back-up officer to handle traffic control.
• 10. Avoid traffic stops past crest of hill
• or around curve.
• www. Policeone.com

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Best Practices Standards for Officer Traffic
Safety

• 1. Standards written for specific goals
• for every officer, same practices
• (expect resistance).
• 2. Use this information to FIT your
• agency size, budget, needs, roadways
• (May not have an interstate.)
• 3. Phase recommendations in over time.

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Best Practices Standards for Officer Traffic
Safety

• Additional financial resources
• Get to know Highway Safety / Dept. of Public
  Safety Grant people.
• 2. Apply for Block / Highway Safety grants.
• 3. Wal-Mart home-town grant (500 or more)
• 4. Civic organizations donate funds.

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Additional Resources

• Ford Motor Company
• Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
• Comprehensive Report July 2005
• www.CVPI.com
• Vehicle Stop Location / Offset - Distance
• Trunk Packing Guide
• Vehicle Marking Recommendations
• Lighting Recommendations

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Additional Resources

• Your Vest Wont Stop This Bullet
• Can be viewed online at
• www.dps.mo.gov/home/MoveOverVideo.com
• DVD can be obtained from
• Ohio State Police
• www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/videoform.html

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Additional Resources

• Your Vest Wont Stop This Bullet

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Final Questions?