National Highway Transportation Safety Administration statistics show that every year in the United States, more people die in traffic crashes than from any other cause not related to disease or illness. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 3 years old and 34 years old.¹ One traffic crash fatality occurs every 15 minutes in the United States.² In 2009, traffic crashes nationwide had an estimated economic cost of $299.5 billion, of which an estimated $3.3 billion annually was attributed to vehicle crashes in Cincinnati, Ohio, alone.³

In spite of the large number of deaths throughout the United States, law enforcement has traditionally taken a decidedly reactive approach to the problem of fatal traffic crashes. A primary reason is that, out of the estimated 12,575 local police departments operating in the United States during 2007, 50 percent employed fewer than 10 officers, and fewer than 50 agencies employed 1,000 or more officers.⁴ Smaller law enforcement agencies do not have the personnel to dedicate specialized resources solely to traffic enforcement or crash prevention. Traffic safety thus becomes a secondary priority. Yet the combination of the number of yearly deaths and injuries from traffic crashes, along with their associated economic costs, should make crash reduction an organizational priority.