INDIANA Traffic Occupant Protection Strategies

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INDIANATraffic Occupant Protection Strategies

• Enforcement and Action Planning

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Restraint Use in Fatal CrashesPassenger Vehicle
Occupants Killed, by Age and Restraint Use, 2005
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Percent of Injuries Unrestrained Indiana 2007
Crash Facts Book
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What Works?

• High Visibility Enforcement
• Creating the perception that not buckling up
  will result in a citation

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Targeted Enforcement

• Defined periods of earned media, paid media, and
  intensive enforcement
• Paid advertisement placement using Click It or
  Ticket or similar enforcement messages
• Program evaluations including before, during, and
  after observation surveys of belt use and surveys
  of public perceptions of the program

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Sustained Enforcement

• The goal of all law enforcement should be the
  expectation of the public to receive a citation
  anytime they are not wearing a seat belt
  whether during or outside of the enforcement
  period.

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Other Benefits?

• What are some of the other benefits resulting
  from sustained or targeted enforcement?

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More Than Just Seat Belt TicketsResults from
Blitz 55 (May 16 - June 1, 2008)

• DWI Arrests (during seat belt patrols only) 99
• Occupant Protection Citations 24,557
• Criminal Felonies 100
• Suspended Licenses 941
• Speeding 2,714
• Other Alcohol Traffic Offenses 1,678
• Criminal Misdemeanor Offenses 331
• Contacts Per Hour - 3.30

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More Than Just Seat Belt TicketsFiscal Year 2008
OPO Blitzes Only

• DWI Arrests 1,862
• Occupant Protection Citations 58,369
• Criminal Felonies 475
• Suspended Licenses 3,715
• Speeding 12,083
• Other Alcohol Traffic Offenses 8,586
• Criminal Misdemeanor Offenses 1,837
• Contacts Per Hour - 3.12

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Just a Traffic Stop?

• Can you cite examples of how a traffic stop grew
  into a larger case?

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Enforcement

• Traffic enforcement IS crime prevention and
  interdiction!

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Operation Pull Over

• Standard Operating Procedures

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Standard Operating Procedures - OPO

• All personnel shall take a zero tolerance
  approach toward violations of the laws regarding
  passenger restraints systems. All personnel shall
  be properly restrained while riding in a
  department owned vehicle.
• PROCEDURE Enforcement
• A vehicle may be stopped to determine compliance
  with Indiana law regarding passenger restraint
  systems. However, a vehicle, the contents, the
  driver or passenger may not be inspected,
  searched or detained solely because of a
  violation of this type.
• Each officer should insure that the use of
  passenger restraints is addressed at every
  traffic enforcement contact, including positive
  reinforcement if proper use of the passenger
  restraint is observed. All occupants, as required
  by Indiana law, should be checked for compliance.
• This would include all passengers in vehicles
  operated by a driver with a graduated license.
  When passenger restraints are not being used
  correctly, officers should provide the
  appropriate educational information to encourage
  their proper use. This information may be
  provided in verbal or written form. In the
  non-use or intentional misuse of passenger
  restraints is noted, the appropriate enforcement
  action should be taken.
• Officers working overtime enforcement are
  required to maintain a minimum average of 3
  contacts per hour, and an average of 1.5 Occupant
  Protection citations. When working DUI overtime
  patrols, the minimum average of DUI arrests is
  one per 8 hours.
• TRAINING
• All personnel who perform traffic enforcement
  activities should complete an approved SFST and
  TOPS course. Officers not complying with the
  training requirements prior to the Memorial Day
  OPO blitz will not be allowed to work overtime
  with Council funding.

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Why Enforce?

• Nothing you can do as a law enforcement officer
  has as much potential to save lives and prevent
  injury as enforcing occupant protection laws.

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Course Wrap-Up

• We identified the risks to law enforcement
• We discussed the importance and value of using
  seat belts
• We discussed basic crash dynamics
• We discussed the basic components of occupant
  protection systems
• We discussed strategies and action planning to
  reduce the injuries and deaths resulting from
  crashes

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• Questions?

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End-of-Course Evaluation

• Your input is important to us!
• Please complete the end-of-course evaluation
  before leaving today.
• Thank You!

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Thank You for Your Participation

• For more information
• www.nhtsa.gov
• www.in.gov/cji