POLICE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

A SYSTEMS ANALYSIS DESIGNED TO UNCOVER THE CAUSES OF POLICE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IS OUTLINED. IN ORDER TO COMPILE DETAILED INFORMATION ON ACCIDENTS, AN ACCIDENT FORM AND A COMPUTERIZED RECORD KEEPING PROCEDURE WAS INSTITUTED. THIS GIVES MONTHLY PRINTOUTS OF INFORMATION ON CAR IDENTIFICATION, TIME, TRAFFIC CONDITION, DRIVER DATA, VEHICLE INFORMATION, AND ACCIDENT DETAILS. IN ANALYZING THE RESULTS, EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON THE PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS. THE MONTHLY ACCIDENT RECORD (CATEGORIZED INTO "ON CALL" AND "ROUTINE" CLASSIFICATIONS) IS TABULATED. IT IS OBSERVED THAT CLOSE TO ONE HALF OF THE POLICE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IS PREVENTABLE. A HIGH PROPORTION OF THE ACCIDENTS OCCUR ON ROUTINE PATROL. OVER 50 PERCENT OF THE PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS INVOLVE ONLY THREE ACCIDENT TYPES: RIGHT ANGLE COLLISION; COLLISION WITH A FIXED OBJECT;~ AND BACKING. THE OBSERVATION IS MADE THAT DEFENSIVE DRIVING TACTICS WOULD REDUCE THE ACCIDENT RATES. CONTROLLED STUDY IS NEEDED BEFORE CONCLUSIONS MAY BE DRAWN ON THE OPTIMUM DRIVING TIME FOR POLICE OFFICERS. CHANGES IMPLEMENTED (IN MEMPHIS) IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE PREVENTABLE ACCIDENT RATE ARE LISTED. THEY INCLUDE INSTITUTION OF AN 8-HOUR DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE; DEVELOPMENT OF DRIVER-ASSIST PROCEDURES TO BE USED BY THE RIDING PARTNER; INSTITUTION OF A 4-HOUR DRIVER-RELIEVE POLICY; AND THE DISSEMINATION OF THE STUDY RESULTS AMONG POLICE OFFICERS. THE RECORD-KEEPING PROCEDURES THAT HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED WILL ENABLE ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF THESE INNOVATIONS.

• Authors:
  • Banton, G
  • DWYER, W
  • Price, W
• Publication Date: 1973-7

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 32-4
• Serial:
  • POLICE CHIEF
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue Number: 7

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Crashes; Defensive drivers; Driver training; Drivers; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Information processing; Police patrol; Police vehicles; Prevention; Records management; Right angle crashes; Safety; Systems analysis
• Uncontrolled Terms: Records
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222060
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 20 1974 12:00AM