Travis Yates - Police Driving: Safety Behind the Wheel

Police Driving:
Safety Behind the Wheel
with Travis Yates

Officer Safety issues are of paramount importance to us. Armed with the knowledge that vehicles have killed officers in higher numbers than have firearms in recent few years, we have brought on a columnist who focuses on law enforcement driver training and safer pursuits.

In 2003, more officers died from crashes while in pursuits than in than any of the last 30 years. To help bring down those numbers, we are proud to introduce PoliceOne columnist, Capt. Travis Yates.

Captain Travis Yates is a Team Leader with the Tulsa Police Precision Driver Training Unit. He is a nationally recognized driving instructor and a certified instructor in tire deflation devices and the pursuit intervention technique. Capt. Yates has a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern State University. He moderates www.policedriving.com, a website dedicated to law enforcement driving issues.

Contact Travis Yates

Helping police officers struck by the Moore tornado - 05/22/2013

Driving simulators: Integration is key in officer training - 05/16/2013

Stress behind the wheel: A lesson learned young - 03/25/2013 Comments

Carbon Motors: From impossible to probable - 01/28/2013 Comments

Addressing the 'Cobra Effect' in your agency - 12/17/2012 Comments

The 'Silent Blue Line' is the ultimate tragedy - 11/26/2012 Comments

10 deadly errors cops make on the roadways - 09/24/2012 Comments

Police driving: An important reminder about our behaviors - 08/20/2012 Comments

Responding to critics of the Below 100 campaign - 06/18/2012 Comments

Tipping Point: Reducing LEO deaths and injuries on roadways - 04/13/2012 Comments

2011 in Review: Are cops born to speed? - 12/26/2011 Comments

Let's be honest about our driving speed - 11/07/2011 Comments

On courage: Honor begins at home - 10/03/2011 Comments

The police family: Mission accomplished in Joplin - 07/27/2011 Comments

Police ambushes and seatbelts: The debate continues - 05/31/2011 Comments

National Police Week: Sacrifices forever remembered - 05/16/2011 Comments

Study: How cops are dying in vehicles - 03/21/2011 Comments

Instruction with in-car video: Putting it into practice - 02/28/2011

Instruction using in-car video: Power and responsibility - 02/21/2011 Comments

When the 'experts' have it all wrong - 01/17/2011 Comments

Police EVOC in 2010: The good, the bad, and the ugly - 12/13/2010 Comments

What can a gorilla teach law enforcers? - 11/15/2010 Comments

New police vehicles: The race is on! - 09/27/2010 Comments

Testing the newest police vehicles - 09/13/2010 Comments

Ford’s new police SUV: ‘Bring the competition on’ - 09/02/2010 Comments

Intersections: New technologies help improve officer training - 08/24/2010

Intersections: Training to combat the enemy in waiting - 08/16/2010 Comments

Struck-by incidents: A mid-year review and safety tips - 07/07/2010 Comments

Intersections: An enemy in waiting - 04/26/2010 Comments

SWAT vehicles: The police driving challenge - 03/22/2010

On texting while driving: A trainer’s perspective - 02/15/2010 Comments

California POST: Taking driver training into the next decade - 01/25/2010 Video

2011 Chevrolet Caprice: This is going to be fun - 10/29/2009 Comments

Keys to safe driving: "The eyes have it!" - 10/26/2009

Keys to safe police driving often overlooked - 09/21/2009 Comments

EVOC training best practices, revisited - 08/24/2009 Comments

How to safely use emergency lights - 07/22/2009 Comments

ILEETA 2009: Dedication and inspiration - 04/29/2009

Analysis of the IACP report "Police Pursuits in an Age of Innovation and Reform" - 03/23/2009 Comments

P1 Year in Review: Safety behind the wheel - 12/30/2008

EVOC training best practices - 11/17/2008

Driver training and the typical police agency - 06/18/2008 Comments

Police driver fatigue: "Our dirty little secret" - 03/28/2008 Comments

The Oklahoma City PD: "Doing it right" - 03/12/2008 Comments

How we die — the untold story - 02/06/2008 Comments

Tire deflation devices help put an end to pursuits - 12/20/2007 Comments

Officer deaths are not a part of our business, but training is - 10/22/2007 Comments

Leadership for driver trainers - 10/01/2007

Deputy Ron Kelley: Inspiring Others - 09/21/2007

Driving in Ohio: It's worth the ride - 09/17/2007 Comments

Membership has its benefits – A.L.E.R.T. International - 09/17/2007

Tire deflation device safety tips - 08/01/2007

"Hypermiling" the law enforcement way - 06/22/2007 Comments

Support for heroes: A new book called "Take up the Shield" - 06/18/2007

What can Brown do for you? - 05/18/2007

Scott v. Harris: The Supreme Court decision and its impact on law enforcement - 05/02/2007 Comments

Law Enforcement Pursuits: Managing the risks (Part 2) - 05/01/2007 Comments

Nitrogen use in LE fleets: Is your safety riding on it? - 04/11/2007

The Future is Now Part 2: Choosing the right driving simulator - 03/20/2007

Driving Simulation: The Future is Now - 03/07/2007

Back in Black: Police cars go retro - 01/24/2007 Comments

V-6 powered police cars: A race to watch - 10/26/2006

Dodge police package: Serious FUN factor - 09/25/2006 Comments

Police driver training: The roadcraft system - 07/13/2006 Comments

Police driver training: The U.K. way - 07/10/2006 Comments

Police Pursuit Advocates: What can we learn? - 04/28/2006

Beginning a driver training program - 02/15/2006

Speech given by P-1 columnist Captain Travis Yates - 01/27/2006

What will it take for us to take drunk driving seriously? - 01/27/2006 Comments

Beginning a driver training program - 11/30/2005

Tire deflation devices: Location, deployment and retrieval - 10/05/2005

Are they really accidents? - 09/14/2005

Five driving safety tips - 06/13/2005

Vehicle Tire Blowouts: Avoiding deadly consequences - 10/12/2004

Pursuit Intervention Technique: Myth vs. fact - 09/17/2004 Comments

Police Pursuits: Safety vs. apprehension - 05/10/2004

Police vehicle inspections - 05/04/2004

Law enforcement pursuits: Managing the risks (Part 1) - 04/07/2004

Tip: Avoid multi-tasking behind the wheel - 11/08/2010

Tip: Dealing with digital distractions - 10/27/2009

Tip: Five driving safety tips - 06/13/2005

PoliceOne members and readers, I am interested in doing everything I can do to educate officers on these issues and to help save lives. I developed a driving program for the Tulsa, Okla. Police Department in 2001 that helped dropped the collision rate by 18 percent. And I know from running my site and from working with officers in the field that there is a huge need and demand for information that helps officers drive safely.

Contact Travis Yates>

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