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A Serious Risk to Officer Safety

According to data collected from the Officer Down Memorial Page, 510 law enforcement officers were killed from 2012-2021 from collisions and struck-by incidents on the nation’s roadways. More recently, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported 56 law enforcement officers were killed in 2022 as a result of traffic-related incidents. 16 of these fatalities were the result of struck-by incidents, and 5 involved single-vehicle crashes.

About the National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program

The National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program (NLERSP) provides a suite of no-cost training, technical assistance, and resources to local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies with the goal of preventing officer injuries and fatalities on the nation’s roadways from officer-involved collisions and struck-by incidents.

The NLERSP offers in-person and virtual courses for executives, patrol officers, and trainers that teach attendees about the risk factors for officer-involved collisions and struck-by incidents and identify a variety of interventions and technological innovations that can reduce the likelihood and severity of their occurrence. The evidence-based courses, developed by a national working group of subject matter experts, draw heavily from the success of the Las Vegas Police Department’s comprehensive crash prevention program, as well as widely-recognized traffic incident management (TIM) principles, to provide attendees with actionable steps, skills, and resources to improve officer safety on the roadways.

The National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, is a collaborative effort between the National Policing Institute and NPI for Intergovernmental Research.

Register for Upcoming Training

The National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program offers a suite of three training courses to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies across the country at no cost to attendees. These courses can be offered either in-person or virtually. See below for a brief description of each course and links to register for upcoming training sessions.

Roadway Safety Executive Session

Lead your agency in roadway safety. Attend this 4-hour course with other mid-level and executive-level officers where you will discuss policies, training, and technological innovations that can reduce the risk of officer-involved collisions and struck-by incidents.

Roadway Safety Patrol Officer Course

Learn how to improve your safety on the roadways. This 8-hour course will discuss best practices and tactics to improve your safety during traffic stops, emergency response driving, all-weather driving, and roadway operations while outside of your vehicle.

Roadway Safety Train-the-Trainer Workshop

Provide roadway safety training to your agency. Attend this 8-hour course where trainers will be given the resources and skills needed to teach the NLERSP training curriculum to other officers during academy or in-service training. This course includes a teach-back exercise. Prerequisite: Trainers must complete the Roadway Safety Patrol Officer Course prior to attending this course.

Request Training & Customized Technical Assistance

If your agency would like to be considered to host a suite of training sessions (patrol, executive, and train-the-trainer courses), please complete the contact form. Please note, funding to deliver training is limited, so agencies and/or regions with the greatest need will be prioritized.

In addition to the live training sessions, the National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program can provide agencies with customized technical assistance to improve existing training, policies, procedures, and programs related to the safety of roadway operations. If your agency is interested in receiving no-cost technical assistance, an authorized agency representative should complete the request form presented here.

Agency representatives can also send an email request to TTA@LEOroadwaysafety.org or call the National Policing Institute at 202-833-1471 with training and technical assistance requests.

LEO Roadway Safety Request Form

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Roadway Safety Resource Toolkit

The following resources are provided to help agencies develop or modify policy, provide additional training to officers, and change organizational culture to improve officer safety on the roadways. The list is not intended to be exhaustive.

NLERSP-logo_road-only

Advanced Warning - 8.5x11 Poster

Advanced Warning - 18x24 Poster

Are You on Autopilot? – 8.5×11 Poster

Are You on Autopilot? – 11×17 Poster

Blocking Vehicles - 8.5x11 Poster

Blocking Vehicles - 18x24 Poster

Distracted Driving - 8.5x11 Poster

Distracted Driving - 18x24 Poster

Fatigued Driving - 8.5x11 Poster

Fatigued Driving - 18x24 Poster

Pick Your Spot – 8.5×11 Poster

Pick Your Spot – 11×17 Poster

Pursuits - 8.5x11 Poster

Pursuits - 18x24 Poster

Reflective Vests - 8.5x11 Poster

Reflective Vests - 18x24 Poster

Seat Belts and Vests - 8.5x11 Poster

Seat Belts and Vests - 18x24 Poster

Speed - 8.5x11 Poster

Speed - 18x24 Poster

Stow Your Gear - 8.5x11 Poster

Stow Your Gear - 18x24 Poster

Warning Light: Seat Belts – 8.5×11 Poster

Warning Light: Seat Belts – 11×17 Poster

What’s Around the Bend? – 8.5×11 Poster

What’s Around the Bend? – 11×17 Poster

Delaware State Police Fatigue Management Policy

Iowa State Patrol High Visibility Vest Policy

Iowa State Patrol Mandatory Body Armor Policy

Iowa State Patrol Digital Device Policy

Iowa State Patrol Pursuit Policy

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Policy Changes following Implementation of Comprehensive Crash Prevention Program

Snohomish County (WA) Sheriff’s Office Body Armor Policy

Snohomish County (WA) Sheriff’s Office MDC Use Policy

Snohomish County (WA) Sheriff’s Office Seat Belt Policy

Peer Accountability for Law Enforcement Safety (PALS) Contract

Pre-drive Safety Checklist

Remembering 5th and Wall (CAL POST) - Video

Roadway Safety Mythbusters - Podcast

Courageous PALS - Podcast

National Traffic Incident Management Online Training – Certificate Available

National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training – 4 Hour Online Course

Traffic Incident Management Area (TIMA) Reference Card

Emergency Responder Safety Institute Report - "Effects of Emergency Vehicle Lighting Characteristics on Driver Perception and Behavior: Study Report"

Virginia State Police E-Summons Pilot Project

NIOSH Law Enforcement Officer Motor Vehicle Safety Toolkit

Report L2021-01: Officer Struck while Assisting with Temporary Traffic Control on an Interstate - Texas

Report L2016-03: Officer Dies in Motor Vehicle Crash at Intersection while Responding to a Shots Fired Call – South Carolina

Report L2016-02: Trooper Crashes on Roadway while Responding to Reckless Driver Complaint – Kentucky

Report L2016-01: Officer Struck by Motorhome while Establishing Temporary Traffic Control on Interstate – Tennessee

Report L2015-01: Trooper Struck by Vehicle while Investigating Crash on Interstate Highway – Oklahoma

Report L2014-01: Sergeant Struck by Motor Vehicle on Interstate Highway – New Mexico

We thank the agencies and organizations that have contributed to this resource toolkit. If your agency has developed resources that could help other agencies, please let us know by emailing us at TTA@LEOroadwaysafety.org.

Recorded Events

Vehicle Pursuits: Considerations for Improving Officer and Public Safety

Vehicle pursuits pose significant risk of harm to not only the officers and subjects involved, but to every other person traveling on or near the roadways. While some pursuits may be unavoidable, law enforcement must recognize these risks and take action to reduce the possibility of harm. This webinar explores data on police vehicle pursuits and discuss how policies, technology, and changes in organizational leadership and culture can increase safety for law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.

Emergency Vehicle Technology: Leveraging Advances to Improve Officer Safety

This webinar explores how vehicle technology, such as vehicle telematics, advances in emergency lighting, digital alerting, and traffic preemption systems, can be leveraged to improve officer and public safety on the roadways. This webinar is provided at no-cost as part of the National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program, supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Improving Officer Safety on the Roadways: Lessons Learned from NIOSH FACE Reports on Law Enforcement Line of Duty Deaths

This recorded web event features investigators from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), who discuss trends in officer injuries and fatalities from roadway-related incidents that were investigated by the NIOSH team. The investigators provide a detailed case study of an officer struck-by incident, including lessons learned, and identify numerous resources available for patrol officers and agency decision-makers, alike, to reduce risk and improve officer safety on the road. This 1.5-hour presentation is intended for law enforcement practitioners at all levels, from patrol officers to agency executives.

Protecting Our Officers on the Road: Reducing Officer-Involved Collisions and Struck-By Incidents

This presentation will educate participants about the leading causes of collisions and struck-by incidents and identify actions agencies and officers can take to improve safety during roadway operations. The presentation will also provide viewers with resources from the National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program (NLERSP), funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to support policy and behavioral changes following the workshop. This presentation was originally delivered as part of IACP’s 2021 Officer Safety and Wellness Symposium in March 2021.

National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program Partners

This project is supported by Grant No. 2018-DP-BX-K005 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.