The objective of this research is to provide public policy guidance for decision makers on the role of law enforcement in traffic safety enforcement.
Status: Research Underway
Traffic law enforcement is changing, and many agencies are facing declining numbers of sworn officers, rising vacancy rates and new limits on how officers may engage in traffic safety enforcement. These shifts raise important questions for states about how enforcement should function in the future and how public expectations align with the police's role in traffic safety.
This project examines the future role of law enforcement personnel in traffic safety enforcement and provides public policy guidance for decision-makers. The research is underway and focuses on two central questions for state highway safety offices and law enforcement leadership: whether the public accepts and wants police to enforce traffic safety laws, and what the future role of officers should be in carrying out that work.
The study will include a reliable measure of public sentiment regarding traditional law enforcement's role in traffic safety enforcement. It will also incorporate findings from BTSCRP Project BTS‑31, Quantifying Impacts of Traffic Enforcement Activity Levels on Safety, once available.
Deliverables from this project will support SHSOs and law enforcement leaders at the state and local levels as they plan for the future of traffic safety enforcement and consider how staffing, public expectations and policy changes may shape enforcement strategies.
