PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
An estimated 10,000 vehicles per day travel the Richardson Highway, stretching from Fairbanks, Alaska to the state border. In 1998, average vehicle speeds along this roadway ranged from 65 to 70 miles per hour (mph), with many motorists traveling at speeds in excess of 80 to 90 mph. Seat belt use on the Richardson Highway averaged between 25 and 50 percent. A recent increase in the demand for police services unrelated to traffic safety, coupled with limited staff resources, often left law enforcement officers in the Fairbanks area no opportunity to conduct routine traffic safety patrols. Local police officials committed their efforts to reversing this dangerous trend.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To help draw attention to the dangers of speeding and impaired driving, and to stress the importance of wearing seat belts, the Fairbanks Police Department, North Pole Police Department and the Fairbanks Detachment of the Alaska State Troopers, combined their efforts to create the Traffic Accident Prevention (TAP) Team in 1999. Objectives of the TAP Team initiative were to:

• Decrease the average speed on the Richardson Highway from 65 to 70 mph down to 55 to 60 mph, while also slowing traffic on Fairbanks city streets
• Improve motorists' compliance with all local and state traffic regulations
• Increase the seat belt use rate in the Fairbanks area to 75 percent
• Increase the number of impaired driving arrests
• Reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes from 1 to 2 per week to 2 per month
• Implement a traffic safety hotline for the public to use to report traffic complaints

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
TAP Team efforts were coordinated by an officer from the North Pole Police Department. The law enforcement team patrolled local highways, in a high profile effort to address overall traffic safety, along with specific offenses such as aggressive driving behavior, impaired driving and the non-use of occupant restraint devices. Activities incorporated into the TAP Team campaign included the following:

• Focusing intensive traffic enforcement on impaired drivers, speeding and occupant protection, including child safety laws
• Providing officers with specific training in crash investigation and reconstruction
• Conducting traffic safety patrols during hours that reflect the law enforcement needs of the community
• Presenting traffic safety programs and driver training to schools and civic organizations
• Creating partnerships with community leaders, organizations, businesses and local citizens, to address traffic problems in the community

RESULTS
Since its inception in January 1999, the TAP Team has achieved significant progress in improving traffic safety in the Fairbanks region. During Fiscal Year 2000, the primary TAP officer worked 1,350 hours and drove more than 20,000 miles, making 1,859 contacts. Law enforcement team members issued 697 citations for speeding on the Richardson Highway. An additional 1,800 citations were issued throughout Fairbanks for speeding, motor vehicle equipment, and occupant protection violations. Impaired driving arrests totaled 196. The local community continues to respond positively to TAP Team efforts to improve highway safety.

FALL 2000