Editor’s Note: This week’s PoliceOne First Person essay is from Jodi Butts, a PoliceOne Member who has conducted basic and advanced driving certifications as well as in-service training on vehicle operations for law enforcement officers. In PoliceOne “First Person” essays, our Members and Columnists candidly share their own unique view of the world. This is a platform from which individual officers can share their own personal insights on issues confronting cops today, as well as opinions, observations, and advice on living life behind the thin blue line. If you want to share your own perspective with other P1 Members, simply send us an e-mail with your story.
By Jodi R. Butts
Police1 Member
As a driving instructor, I continue to be frustrated by the number of my law enforcement brothers and sisters who have died in the line of duty in vehicle related incidents. There have been nearly 35 officers killed in the line of duty so far this year in vehicle accidents. Three were involved in pursuits — countless other officers have been injured, some gravely.
While these incidents are tragic, we as law enforcement officers need to take individual responsibility for what happens to us behind the wheel. We can’t predict when the intoxicated motorist or the wrong way driver is going to run into our patrol car or when the distracted driver runs the stop light, but we can take responsibility for other aspects of our driving.
As an instructor and a practitioner, I’ll cite what I believe to be the four main reasons why we LEOs are dying on the road.
1.) Seatbelts
Look at the Officer Down Memorial Page and read the excerpts from those that have died in motor vehicle accidents. Far too many of our brothers and sisters were ejected from the vehicle. To me, this only means one thing, NO SEAT BELT. As a driving instructor, I often pose this question to my students: “Who doesn’t wear a seatbelt while driving or even as a passenger?” Then I ask, “Why not?”
The answers vary, but common responses are “It’s uncomfortable.” or “I don’t like to.” One young student said that he didn’t like to get his shirt wrinkled. I tried to explain to him that a wrinkled uniform shirt is nothing compared to the wrinkled body he would get should he get into a wreck. How about, “It doesn’t fit right.”
Again I had to explain—complete with a diagram and pictures—the mechanics of the seatbelt adjuster, located just over and behind the driver’s side left shoulder. One-third of the students didn’t know there even was a seatbelt adjuster. Despite all of these answers from “experienced drivers,” the best answer that I couldn’t fathom was, “It takes too long to put on.”
I can’t understand the reasoning behind that answer. In my opinion, it takes more time to find a good radio station than it does it put a seatbelt on. Is there a time frame that must be met or else it‘s a no-go? As a test, I had my four and a half year old get in a vehicle, sit in her car seat, and fasten herself in. The vehicle used was a Chevy Tahoe with a running board. At the word go, she climbed into the Tahoe, sat in the car seat, got comfy, put her teddy bear next to her, picked him up when he fell over, grabbed the seat belt and secured herself and Teddy.
Time elapsed: less than 30 seconds. Now, you tell me... too long?
2.) Distractions
This is not just a teenage problem but ours as well. At times, it is easier and faster to get information via cell phone than by radio. Everyone has cell phones and we love to text.
LOL! IM NT BSY, JST DRVNG!
In October 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13513, concerning the use of electronic devices in vehicles. In fact, here is the text, if you will, right from Section 2 of that Order:
“Federal employees shall not engage in text messaging (a) when driving GOV, or when driving POV while on official Government business, or (b) when using electronic equipment supplied by the Government while driving.”
This also includes government rented or leased vehicles. Now while this Order only applies to Federal employees, government contractors, subcontractors, recipients and sub recipients, I am unaware of any state or local directives forbidding texting and driving. Despite these directives, patrol cars are equipped with laptop computers that are perfectly okay to operate while in the performance of our driving duty (i.e. running license plates or getting call updates). Does anyone see the irony in that?
Let’s face it; shift work is not conducive to our good eating habits. We don’t always get the time to have a sit down meal. Our sit down is grabbing BK or Mickey D’s and eating on the way. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten in a G-ride and found French fries on the floor board or the fast food bag crumpled up between the seats. While being able to multi-task is a good thing, it isn’t so much while eating and driving.
In addition to texting and eating, our mental and physical preparedness is also a distraction. Law Enforcement can be a taxing thing. We see and do things everyday that others do not understand or choose to comprehend. We tend to over-analyze and second guess our decisions. As a result, our experiences, both good and bad linger in our minds. They bleed over into our home life and family. Our sleep is affected and all too often we get none. Or worse, we have an argument with our significant others that doesn’t get resolved before our next shift. Yet we have to push on to the next day and start over behind the wheel with our demons on board. That service ride is our 4000 pound office, restaurant, bed, therapist and more times than not, phone booth.
3.) Speed
Let’s admit it: we are a fast-lane breed. We all like the rush of zipping through traffic like Mario Andretti on the final lap. Our “Type A” personalities won’t let us just cruise in the right lane. Even when there is no call or situation that requires our assistance, the throttle is down. Most of the time, we don’t even realize how fast we are actually going. We, as highly trained and skilled law enforcement officers have a hard time admitting or accepting the parameters of our true abilities. Perhaps it is our overwhelming sense of invincibility. We are competitive by nature and always want to come out on top despite the lack of proficiency or ability. We take the risk because we want to improve our self-worth in the eyes of others. It’s cool.
If you have to ask, “gee, think I can make that,” chances are you probably won’t. The best advice we can give is, “Don’t let your ego or competitive spirit override good judgment.”
4.) Training
We are drilled on the legal aspects of our jobs, not so much on the authority to enforce the laws, but more of a way to keep us out of trouble when exercising that authority. We sit through grueling hours of “death by PowerPoint” or lectures on legal updates. We receive countless hours of training at the academy pertaining to the firearms curriculum to prepare us for “that day.” Additionally, we are required to re-qualify or recertify in firearms bi-annually or quarterly, depending on the agency. We as LEOs love to attend firearms seminars, take advanced tactical training, we subscribe to numerous gun magazines, check out local gun shows, and admire the next best thing.
We go so far as to rewind our favorite cop shows, just to look at the weapon. When we meet other LEOs, the first question asked is “What do you guys carry?” It’s like a competition to see who has the better weapon or weapon accessory. Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for the smell of gunpowder in the morning, and I love to shoot. However, the majority of officer involved fatalities involve vehicles, not firearms. So why don’t we receive remedial driving training?
Operating a motor vehicle is a perishable skill that we take for granted. Upon arriving at any law enforcement academy, we are required to have drivers license in hand and the knowledge to drive. Maybe, since we assume that everyone knows how to drive, that automatically qualifies you to be a good driver. Of course we all know what assumptions do. It’s the acquired nuances of those driving abilities that set us apart.
In the words of a wise colleague, “Good drivers aren’t born, they are taught.”
About the Author
Jodi Butts has been a law enforcement officer since 1998. She has conducted basic and advanced driving certifications as well as in-service training on vehicle operations for law enforcement officers. She is currently assigned as a driving instructor at her agency’s basic academy and is certified as an instructor in the Vehicle Immobilization Devices and Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT). She has served as a Military Police Officer in the Army.
