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Highway Safety

Traffic Enforcement Systems

Computer-Aided Traffic Enforcement Personnel Allocation Method. Police Personnel Allocation Manuals (PAMs) were developed for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by the Center for Public Safety at Northwestern University in 1991. The computerized version of the Personnel Allocation Method (PAM), developed in this project, provides a sophisticated and defensible allocation method to agencies that otherwise would be constrained in their abilities to manage patrol effort effectively, identify requirements, and justify requests for additional personnel to perform their missions. This system can now be downloaded at no cost from an NHTSA web site.

Mobile Officer's Assistant (MOA). The Mobile Officer's Assistant (MOA) is a system of hand-held computers that enhances the security of law enforcement officers and facilitates the writing of citations and the transmitting of information to police and court information systems. MOA obtains information on registration violations, stolen vehicles, and outstanding warrants almost instantly and without involving busy dispatchers and radio channels. MOA captures data from the magnetic stripes or bar codes on drivers' licenses and uses the information to create a traffic citation automatically. Officers may use drop-down menus, a soft keyboard, and/or handwriting recognition to enter data. Motorists sign their names on the computer screen, and then the electronic tickets are "beamed" to a portable printer that produces a paper copy for the motorist. MOA instantly transmits a digital version of the citation to police headquarters and the courts for timely processing, and without further human intervention. The system was initially tested in San Francisco, California, and is now in operation in Austin, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nevada (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, City of Austin, Texas, and City of Las Vegas, Nevada).

Promotion of Highway Safety

The Unsafe Driving Acts of Motorists in the Vicinity of Large Trucks. This 17-minute training video was produced for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), based on research conducted previously by Anacapa Sciences for the Office of Motor Carriers. The video explains the performance limitations of large commercial vehicles and illustrates the unsafe driving acts of motorists that lead to collisions with large trucks on the road. Although primarily intended for viewing by novice drivers, all motorists can benefit from the video, regardless of their level of experience or the type of vehicle they drive.

Deterrence of Drunk Driving

Automatic DWI Detection. Conducted a study for NHTSA to evaluate the feasibility of automatically detecting alcohol-impaired drivers as they approach sobriety checkpoints. Identified vehicle movement variables associated with alcohol-impairment, evaluated sensors for detecting and measuring speed, braking, and lateral displacement and excursions within a lane, and conducted a controlled field test involving dosed subjects. The project demonstrated the capability of the prototype system to accurately measure vehicle movement variables and identify impaired drivers.

SFSTs. Conducted a field evaluation of NHTSA's Standardized Field Sobriety Tests for Lower BAC Limits. Developed procedures, trained officers, and conducted a six-month field study during which officers completed a data collection form for each SFST administration. Officers' estimates of BAC based on SFST performance were compared to actual BACs obtained after the estimates were made, validating the SFST battery at the 0.08 BAC level.

Detection of DWI at lower blood alcohol concentrations. Identified and validated a set of behavioral cues that can help patrol officers to detect vehicle operators with BACs below 0.10. Conducted interviews with a large number of DWI experts, developed a data base of low BAC arrest reports, and managed field studies involving thousands of law enforcement officers from across the United States. Developed a DWI detection guide and associated training video to instruct law enforcement officers in the accurate detection of alcohol-impaired drivers. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

The general deterrence of speeding. Evaluated the effects of the general deterrence of speeding on public awareness, the incidence of speed-related crashes, and crime in the vicinity of the special enforcement efforts. The project involved two experimental sites and a control community, the development of community program support committees, and the implementation of extensive publicity campaigns to support the two innovative speed enforcement programs that incorporate laser, radar, and automatic monitoring of vehicle speeds. The study found significant declines in speed-related crashes and the incidence of certain categories of crime in the vicinity of the special traffic enforcement effort. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Contributions of traffic enforcement to the war on crime. Evaluated the contributions of traffic enforcement to the detection of non-traffic-related criminal activities and the apprehension of wanted criminals, in a project for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Observed officers of the Grand Prairie, Texas, Police Department in the performance of their patrol duties, interviewed officers and police managers, and reviewed and analyzed arrest records of the department. Found 37 percent of all arrests made in the city were made as a consequence of traffic enforcement stops. Moreover, nearly half of these arrests were for non-traffic-related criminal offenses detected during traffic enforcement. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Experimental evaluation of sobriety checkpoints. Conducted a study to determine the optimal configuration of sobriety checkpoints as DWI countermeasures. Developed community support groups and publicity/education materials, and secured the cooperation of the police departments in six cities. Employed archival research, public opinion surveys, and field data collection techniques to evaluate the relative and absolute effectiveness of the various checkpoints configurations. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Detection of impaired motorcyclists. Conducted a three-year study to identify the behavioral cues that best discriminate between normal and impaired motorcycle operation. Conducted interviews with expert patrol officers, developed a motorcycle DWI arrest report database, and conducted three field studies involving more than 3,000 officers at 50 sites from across the U.S. The project resulted in the preparation of an instructional video tape, printed training materials, and a detection guide to assist officers in the accurate detection of impaired motorcyclists. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Drunk driver arrest procedures. Described existing arrest procedures for driving while intoxicated (DWI); identified and assessed factors that inhibit DWI arrests; recommended model DWI arrest procedures; and prepared a police traffic DWI enforcement manual based on recommended procedures. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Evaluation of a passive alcohol sensor. Designed and conducted a field evaluation of a device developed to detect alcohol-impaired drivers. Collected data in the course of 1159 stops by police officers during 1120 hours of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) patrol. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

On-the-road police detection of driving while intoxicated. Determined the most effective cues and procedures for the visual detection of driving while intoxicated (DWI). Analyzed previous research; obtained expert opinion; analyzed arrest reports; and conduced field studies involving 12 police agencies, 466 patrol officers, and 788,200 person-hours of patrol activity. Prepared a DWI detection guide and an instructional video on its application. The system has been used by more than 5,000 police agencies. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

General deterrence of driving while intoxicated. Conducted a system analysis of the general deterrence of driving while intoxicated (DWI). Identified system elements and countermeasure components relevant to the DWI decision; processed and incorporated them into a system model; assessed the impact of alternative countermeasures and the sensitivity of system parameters through a computer simulation based on the model. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Promotion of Highway Safety

Enforcement of state safety belt use laws. Developed local support for programs in two states, developed materials and generated publicity, monitored and regulated law enforcement activity, measured public awareness, collected objective measures of compliance with safety belt regulations, and analyzed data to determine effectiveness of program. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Field studies of driver speed adaptation. Designed and conducted three field studies of the speed-adaptation theory. Determined the extent of the effect and defined the associated practical implications. Specified the conditions under which the effect is likely to be observed, magnitude of the effect, the persistence of the effect, the role of speed perpetuation, and the effectiveness of possible countermeasures. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

High-risk drivers. Developed an approach for predicting the alcohol-related crash involvement of high-risk drivers. Considered methods of data collection, multivariate predictive model building, and assessment of predictive and concurrent validity. Applied the results to design of pre-crash countermeasures and delivery of police traffic services, law enforcement, licensing, and adjudication. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Motorist trip planning and map use. Determined the factors that influence the route-finding capabilities of automobile drivers. Surveyed and tested a sample of over 5,000 automobile drivers and roadside locations in West Virginia and California. Developed recommended improvements in mapping, road-signing, and highway design. (West Virginia Department of Highways)

Research on risk-taking. Defined the universe of risk-taking behaviors for motorcycle riders and automobile drivers; selected measurable behaviors and developed measurement methods; tested the practical feasibility and adequacy of the measures for research on risk-taking behavior. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

Seat belt compliance. Conducted a field study to measure compliance with the California seat-belt law through unobtrusive observation of driver behavior by a team of field research technicians. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

Safe Streets. Evaluated the Albuquerque Police Department's "Safe Streets 1997" special enforcement program and prepared a case study report for NHTSA. Observed and interviewed officers and police managers, and conducted statistical analyses of arrest, crash, and crime data.

Unsafe Driving in the Vicinity of Trucks. Conducted a study for the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Motor Carriers to identify the unsafe driving acts (UDAs) of motorists in the vivinity of large trucks. Analyzed natinal crash statistics, interviewed collision investigators and commercial motor vehicle operators, reviewed more than 1,000 collision investigation reports, and conducted a systematic rating exercise by experts. The research led to the identification of a list of 23 UDAs. Development of a training course for law enforcement officers and changes to the Uniform Motor Vehicle Code were recommended.

Speed Research. Conducted a study for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to synthesize safety-related research concerning speed and speed control. Reviewed the scientific and engineering literature, conducted archival research, and interviewed traffic engineering experts. Issues addressed include speed-safety relationships, factors influencing speed, speed zoning, enforcement, and speed control (traffic calming).

Bicycle Safety

Bicycle/motor-vehicle accident types. Identified specific accident types and defined potential countermeasures tailored to reduce the incidence of each type. Collected a large and representative sample of accident cases from geographically diverse sites throughout the United States. Studied each case to identify operator, vehicular, and environmental factors causally related to the crash. Classified cases exhibiting commonality in the patterns of causally related factors into appropriate accident types. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Bicycle safety and education. Developed and tested a bicycle safety education program for school-age children, specifically aimed at knowledge and skill deficiencies that precipitate bicycle/motor-vehicle crashes. Developed a booklet, Bicycle Rules of the Road, printed and distributed statewide by the California State Department of Education. (City of Santa Barbara and California Office of Traffic Safety)

Bicycle safety information for school teachers. Prepared a document on bicycle safety for primary and secondary school teachers who might become involved in bicycle safety education programs. Included a definition of problems in assessing accident causation, a behavior sequence model, accident types, educational techniques, and critical issues. (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety)

Conspicuity of pedestrians and bicyclists. Analyzed factors that influence the conspicuity of pedestrians and bicyclists. Recommended devices that enhance conspicuity, considering the most frequently occurring accident types. (Dunlap and Associates)

Countermeasures for bicycle/motor-vehicle problem types. Developed countermeasures including training programs, public-safety messages, and bicycle-safety regulations for reducing the incidence of specific bicycle/motor-vehicle problem types. (Dunlap & Associates)


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