Crash Responder Safety Week, Nov. 18-22, highlights the critical need for drivers to slow down, move over and protect first responders working in hazardous roadside situations. Police1’s coverage provides strategies, essential tools and expert insights focused on law enforcement safety and public awareness.
Eradicating dangers and deaths on highways may seem like an impossible challenge, but the right data and analytics can help law enforcement agencies and states work together to achieve it
SLOW DOWN, MOVE OVER
As law enforcement officers continue to be killed on our nation’s roadways, we must continue to message about the importance of “Move Over” laws
How a Texas department enhanced officer traffic safety and accountability after two of its officers were struck and killed by passing vehicles
A reporter being hit by a vehicle during a live news report highlighted the danger of working near roadway incidents – a danger that proved fatal for two LEOs this past week
Virginia patrol officer’s dashcam video is another reminder that traffic stops can go from routine to life-threatening in the blink of an eye
When you hit the lights and pull over what can only be described as a heavily fortified defensive position on wheels, don’t just approach blind
The passenger side contact remains an essential strategy for officer safety, but recognizing its limitations can enhance the odds in the officer’s favor
OFFICER SAFETY MUST-KNOWS
Fifty years ago I was taught that the right-side approach on a traffic stop is the safest – and that message is just as relevant for recruits today
These programs help to reduce traffic congestion as a result of collisions, while increasing officer safety on the roadways
LEOs rank among the highest number of “struck-by” fatalities of any responders. Could helmets be one answer to this safety crisis?
The data speaks for itself
At high-risk roadway incidents, reduce your risk by maximizing time, distance and shielding
A simple shift in mindset to help officers avoid and survive while working a highway crash
Combine hazmat principles with high-visibility vests, traffic cones, scene lighting and personal lighting devices to reduce MVC scene risks
IN THE NEWS
Idaho State Police said both vehicles caught fire following the crash, which sent eight survivors to area hospitals
Dash camera footage shows a suspect jumping onto the hood of the cruiser; another suspect threw a traffic cone, cracking the windshield
Dashcam video shows the close call as the SUV slammed into a patrol vehicle moments after the officers leaped out of the way
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy was responding to another call with the cruiser’s lights and sirens activated
“I was ready for the worst-case scenario: to take the hit. And that’s exactly what I did,” said Harris County Deputy Louie Ayala, who had been on patrol for 32 days
The driver was later stopped and taken into custody; the Lauderhill officer, whose injuries included leg and facial damage, was transported to a hospital
Columbus Police Department officers were dispatched to 107 accidents without injuries and nine accidents with injuries in that time frame, accordsing to department data
The trooper sustained minor injuries after jumping out of the way of the approaching vehicle
Officers tried to get into the vehicle to save the driver, but, “due to the intensity of the flames and heat, they were unable to rescue the occupant,” the Torrance PD stated
The deputies were at the scene of a major accident in a marked squad car with emergency lights on when a driver, now charged with DUI, crashed into the back of the cruiser