(The following article was obtained from the International Association of Chiefs of Police).

There are more than 800,000 state and local law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the United States. Officers that perform traffic-related duties are exposed to the risk of being struck by passing vehicles while working outside of their patrol cars.

In the last decade, on average, one officer per week was killed on U.S. roads. Traffic-related incidents—vehicle crashes and being struck by moving vehicles while on foot—are a leading cause of death for officers. From 2011 to 2020, there were 1,762 officer line-of-duty deaths. Of that total, 367 officer line-of-duty deaths were due to vehicle crashes (21 percent of total), and 131 officer line-of-duty deaths were due to being struck by a vehicle (seven percent of total).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been studying vehicle crashes and struck-by incidents among LEOs for nearly a decade. The NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program investigates LEO line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) due to motor vehicle events. The investigators identify risk factors for vehicle crashes and struck-by LEO LODDs and develop prevention recommendations that can be applied in the field. NIOSH shares these recommendations with law enforcement agencies across the United States, with the goal of reducing LEO motor vehicle–related deaths.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s third quarter report for 2021, 44 officers were killed in traffic-related incidents during the first three quarters of 2021.  Of these 44 traffic-related fatalities, 23 were struck-by fatalities, where officers on foot were struck and killed by vehicles. Many of these fatal struck-by crashes occurred while officers were investigating motor vehicle crashes or assisting motorists on the side of the road.Secondary crashes caused by distracted or impaired drivers continue to be the main circumstance for officers being struck and killed by vehicles. For the 70 struck-by events involving LEOs from 2015 to 2019, a third involved a “Slow Down and Move Over” violation, and almost half of the officers struck were engaged in some type of traffic enforcement.

To stop this disturbing trend, NIOSH developed an infographic based on lessons learned from the three NIOSH FACE LEO struck-by fatality investigations. This infographic summarizes the key steps that LEOs should take to lower their risk of being struck by a passing vehicle while outside their patrol vehicles:

Maintain Situational Awareness 

Law enforcement officers should maintain awareness of their surroundings, especially while working in a temporary traffic zone. There are many reasons motorists fail to move over. They can be vision impaired, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, distracted, or have a medical condition that affects their judgment or abilities. Officers should train and work under the premise of “if it’s moving, and you’re not driving it, it is out to kill you.”

High-Visibility Vest 

Wear an ANSI-approved tearaway high-visibility vest when working outside a vehicle. The use of high-visibility, retro-reflective vests increases the officers’ visibility and permits motorists to see the law enforcement officers sooner, allowing more time to react.

SOP’s

Follow the agency’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) on temporary traffic control zones. SOPs allow law enforcement officers to make decisions rapidly and build confidence through knowledge that the procedure will be the same in all incidents. This enhances efficiency, effectiveness, and safety. SOPs should address what resources are needed for various types of incidents and for temporary traffic control for roadways and highways within a jurisdiction.

ICS

Understand the incident command structure (ICS). ICS is a management system designed to integrate resources to effectively attack a problem. ICS has the flexibility to accommodate varying sets of circumstances. ICS uses a systems approach for command and control of incidents involving response from single or multiple jurisdictions or agencies. ICS allows agencies to effectively manage emergency incidents and ensure the safety of all responders. ICS designates the specific duties of all participants and determines who will oversee the scene with responsibility for monitoring the overall response.