According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the leading cause of law enforcement deaths between 2007 and 2016 were crashes involving motor vehicles, which include collisions and being struck by moving vehicles while working on roadways. To address this critical issue, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) recently partnered with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to investigate ways to help prevent officer fatalities from motor vehicle crashes and roadside incidents.
In the article “Improving Officer Safety on the Roadways,” Brian Montgomery, a general engineer in NIJ’s Office of Science and Technology, outlines how NIJ and NIOSH collaboratively study the circumstances behind line-of-duty deaths from vehicle crashes and roadside incidents, as well as methods to improve officer safety on the roadways. The research findings are based on two projects: 1) an evaluation of a comprehensive motor vehicle safety program in Las Vegas, Nevada, and 2) an in-depth examination of specific officer fatalities to identify risk factors and develop recommendations. The goal of both projects is to help increase safety for law enforcement officers as they are on duty on streets and highways nationwide.
Read the NIJ article for more information.