Strategy #3
Traffic Safety Management Functions

Agencies should have a strong commitment to traffic safety and related services and include such services in their mission. Management’s role is to ensure that the mission of the agency is carried out successfully.

Background

Traffic safety and services are vital components in the overall mission of an agency. Numerous management theories exist which should provide the basic guidelines for law enforcement executives to accomplish their goals in traffic safety.

Actions

• Ensure that the planning function of the agency includes traffic safety as an area of responsibility.
• Develop goals, objectives and actions that address resolution of traffic safety issues.
• Organize units and/or sections that specifically include the responsibility of traffic safety and the implementation of traffic enforcement programs.
• Direct management, supervisors, and field officers to address traffic safety issues as part of their daily and annual goals.
• Staff the units or sections adequately to ensure that traffic safety can be addressed and traffic enforcement programs can be implemented.
• Coordinate the agency’s traffic safety efforts both within the agency and with external partners and stakeholders.
• Budget to include necessary resources to adequately address traffic safety issues within the agency’s jurisdiction.

Benefits

• A systematic approach to include traffic safety as an agency goal will help ensure success in reaching that goal. 
• By using one of the management approaches, management may discover areas that may need the application of additional resources, e.g., grants, public-private partnerships, or volunteers.
• Utilizing management tools helps to institutionalize traffic safety within the agency as a means of reducing collisions, saving lives and reducing injuries.

Other Considerations

• Without utilizing management tools in its traffic safety programs as a priority, law enforcement personnel may not take this area of responsibility as seriously as the law enforcement executive may desire.
• Without using management tools to address traffic safety, the agency will not be able to keep it on a priority agenda.

• Continue to Strategy #4

• Return to Management Strategies