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Police Driving:
Safety Behind the Wheel
with Capt. Travis Yates
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Five driving safety tips
In the past three decades officer deaths in vehicle collisions have risen 40 percent. As law enforcement deaths continue to rise due to vehicle collisions and pursuits, there is a growing interest by some jurisdictions to increase driver training and vehicle safety. Unfortunately, many departments have ignored basic driver training. Far too many officers are given the bare minimum of driver training in their academy with nothing else the rest of their careers. Officers are now aware that the most danger they may face each day is behind the wheel of their car. A successful law enforcement driver has the right mental attitude. Hopefully the tips below will better prepare you for your daily duty.
- Following Distance
There are many distractions in a police vehicle. From routine observations needed on patrol to the radio and computers in the car, officers must be very cognizant of the distance they follow other vehicles. Everyone has heard of at least two seconds but at a minimum law enforcement should use the three (3) second rule as a following distance. If there are any distractions (poor weather, looking for suspects, etc), the distance should be increased even more. The farther away an officer is, the safer they are. That rule is used in every aspect of safety training. It should be used in driving as well.
- Speed
We have all heard the cliché that speed kills. Unfortunately that is true in law enforcement as well. While looking at line of duty deaths, it doesn't take long to figure out that excessive speed is deadly. When speeds are over 60 mph, the danger to law enforcement becomes increasingly higher. At times, law enforcement driving requires officers to drive fast. Officers need to choose these occasions wisely. A large percentage of fatality collisions occur at intersections. Poor weather, heavy traffic and rural roads are also more dangerous to police officers.
- Emergency Equipment
When an officer has to utilize their emergency equipment while driving, they should think about several issues. Often we associate speed with emergency equipment. This doesn't necessarily have to be the case and often times would not be appropriate. Despite the emergency equipment being activated, an officer must continue to have due care for the safety of anyone around. Citizens will often not hear sirens and officers will sometimes drive too fast during these occasions. We must always remember that we will not be able to help anyone if we don't arrive. Officers should never let their emergency equipment fool them into a false sense of security.
- Tires
Not every officer will take the time to inspect every aspect of his or her patrol vehicle. One thing that must be done daily is a visual inspection of the tires. They are absolutely the most important piece of equipment on the vehicle. The tires are the only thing between an officer and the road. It is of absolute importance that the tires have adequate tread and the proper inflation.
- Seat Belts
A recent study showed that when departments have seat belt policies, they are rarely enforced. Researchers also determined that unbelted officers are 2.6 times more likely to die if their patrol crashes than those who are wearing their safety belts. It shouldn't have to be said but we all know "those" officers that don't wear seat belts. Law enforcement driving is dangerous enough. We don't need to increase those dangers by disregarding the basic safety premise of wearing a seat belt.
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