Strategy #1
Organizational Commitment
Develop motivational alternatives to support and improve traffic safety measures.
Background
Law enforcement agencies can become preoccupied with general law enforcement measures at the expense and neglect of traffic safety programs. Because traffic safety is a viable and important element of law enforcement, traffic safety programs and personnel should receive the executive’s full support and attention.
Actions
- Make traffic safety a core value.
- Integrate traffic safety throughout all operations of the department. When feasible a traffic safety unit should be established.
- Provide necessary training, equipment, and staff to fulfill the responsibility of providing traffic safety to the
public.
- Emphasize the importance of traffic safety during training and presentations to all personnel.
Benefits
- Improves morale and motivation.
- Provides important focus and support for traffic safety.
- Reduces vehicle collisions and incidents and their related costs.
- Reduces vehicle crash injuries and fatalities and their related costs.
- Reduces criminal activity where active traffic enforcement takes place.
- Increases the efficiency of traffic systems.
Other Considerations
- Establishment of traffic safety units requires personnel resources, additional training and funding.
- Management support is essential.
- Specialized traffic units do not nullify the traffic responsibilities of other units.