OSS Driver Crash-Prevention Guidelines for Law Enforcement

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We think we know the hazards of being a peace officer and focus heavily on providing training and protection gear to officers who are faced with violent confrontations. Yet we often ignore the roadway hazards we as officers face daily on our highways. A review of the Officer Down Memorial sadly reveals a total of 229 line of duty deaths during 2022. Of these tragic losses, sixty deaths were due to hostile gunfire, while fifty-seven deaths were vehicle related. Comparing gunshots and vehicle deaths we see that these are almost identical losses.

Of major concern for officers and their loved ones is the realization, that where hostile gunfire can rarely be anticipated and controlled, most vehicle related accidents can be foreseen and prevented with reasonable care. We really do have the ability to prevent these deaths and injuries.

• Each year, there are approximately three hundred fatalities in the U.S. that occur because of police vehicle operations. Many of these deaths were innocent deaths not directly involved in the police action.
• Just over 30% of the fatalities included citizens who were not involved in the pursuit.
• Peace officers incur double the rate of motor vehicle crashes per million miles driven compared to the public.

A major cause of peace officer accidents was reported as distraction-affected crashes.