Headed in the Wrong Direction

In a recent traffic safety update call, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported a dramatic increase in traffic-related officer fatalities. There were 29 traffic-related fatalities as of Aug. 6, compared to 14 traffic-related fatalities in the same time period in 2023. That is a 107% increase, something that alarmed Nick Breul, Senior Program Manager with the NLEOMF.

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Breul gave his update on Aug. 22, and by that time, traffic-related fatalities were up to 32. He shared some of the trends and statistics, along with the key areas the NLEOMF is keeping an eye on. Of the 32 cases, 19 were automobile crashes—four of which were single-vehicle crashes—11 were struck-by crashes, and two were motorcycle crashes.

“If you’re familiar with our categories, we have automobile crashes and a subcategory of that are the single-vehicle crashes,” he said. “That’s one of the things we try to focus on. Those are preventable. A lot of the things we cover here are preventable, but those are certainly preventable. In the story of most of those crashes, speed, failure to control the vehicle, or the introduction of a curve or some other thing leads to a vehicle crash. That means that vehicle went off the road and impacted a tree or an abutment and did not impact with another vehicle.”

He added that the NLEOMF focuses heavily on struckby crashes as well. Only halfway into the year, the 11 struck-by crashes already surpass the 10 struck-by crashes recorded by the foundation in 2023. Of the 11 struck-by cases, 10 involved sheriff’s deputies, nine involved state troopers and other state-assigned officers, one involved a federal officer, and one involved a territorial officer. In the struck-by category, one officer was killed while deploying a tire deflation device, one was killed while attempting an arrest in which the officer was tragically struck by another police vehicle, two were killed at crash scenes, five were killed at traffic stops and two were killed while directing or diverting traffic.

Of the automobile crashes, there were three officers involved in pursuits, two who were transporting arrestees, four who were on administrative runs or going to or from work, two who were parked on the shoulder, four who were responding to calls for service, one was killed at a traffic stop, one was on patrol, one was conducting an investigation and one was parked at a crash scene. The types of automobile crashes included three that occurred at an intersection, four were struck head-on, five involved officers who lost control, five were rear-ended, one rear-ended another vehicle, one went into a river and one involved an officer responding to a call in heavy fog.

Of the two motorcycle crashes, one officer was on an escort and was involved at a crash in an intersection, while another was hit head-on by a vehicle passing an oncoming vehicle. “If you have motorcycles in your agencies, they need to be careful handling these escorts.”

NHTSA Region 4, which includes Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, is currently the leading region for traffic-related fatalities. That region, and Region 6, which includes New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi, usually vie for the top spot each year due to their large combined populations.