The Decline in Traffic Enforcement and its Connection to Road Fatalities
In a comprehensive report by The New York Times, it has been revealed that traffic enforcement has remained lax even though traffic volumes have rebounded after the pandemic-induced decline in traffic stops. This lax policing is believed to have a “likely connection” to the rise in road fatalities across the United States.
The reluctance of some police departments to pull over suspicious or speeding drivers is attributed to public criticism and protests following the tragic death of George Floyd in 2020. However, the issue runs deeper than recent events. The report highlights a decline in enforcement practices that began in the late 1990s and particularly intensified after the police shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014.
Jeff Michael, a former official at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and an expert in road safety at Johns Hopkins University, emphasizes that the decline in traffic enforcement predates the events in Ferguson by at least a decade. However, he acknowledges the undeniable impact that Ferguson and subsequent events have had on the situation.
The report includes several charts that demonstrate the decline in traffic stops in many cities across the country. For instance, police departments in Baltimore, New Orleans, and San Francisco were making less than half the number of traffic stops they did before the pandemic by the end of 2023. In cities like Seattle and New York, where data on traffic stops is not publicly available, the decline is reflected in the decrease in citations given during stops. The downturn is even evident in state agencies responsible for monitoring road safety on highways, such as the Texas Highway Patrol and Connecticut State Police.
Seattle saw an 83% decrease in traffic citations from 2019 to 2023, while Nashville experienced a staggering 91% drop in traffic stops between 2015 and 2023. Shockingly, the city with the highest increase in traffic deaths was Memphis, seeing a 74% rise between 2019 and 2022.
The decline in traffic enforcement can be attributed to multiple factors, including the impact of the pandemic, protests against police conduct during traffic stops, and issues related to short-staffing within police departments. Some agencies have responded to these concerns by implementing policy changes. For example, the Los Angeles Police Department now requires officers to record their rationale for pretextual stops, which occur when officers use a minor violation as a justification to search for more serious crimes. Philadelphia has also enacted a law that limits stops for reasons such as a broken taillight.
It is important to note that police actions in traffic enforcement are closely intertwined with road safety strategies. In Los Angeles, for instance, car crashes claimed more lives than homicides, with over half of the fatalities being pedestrians. The report includes a poignant quote from a grandmother who prays for the safety of her three young-adult grandsons, hoping they will not encounter any issues with law enforcement or gang violence and that they will not fall victim to someone running a red light.
The complete story, with more in-depth analysis and illuminating interviews, can be found in the original article. Please note that a subscription to The New York Times may be required to access the full content.
