Motor vehicle fatalities have steadily risen since 2020. In the first half of 2020 alone, an estimated 20,175 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States.¹

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, however, projects the first decline in traffic fatalities since 2020. Initiatives such as Vision Zero that have set goals to eliminate all traffic fatalities across the U.S.—and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities around the globe—are guiding technology companies to focus on data capturing tools.²

Law enforcement agencies have been collecting data, albeit in a rudimentary manner, for decades. Yet, many companies are working to create streamlined, automated solutions to eliminate the time at a traffic stop and enhance officer safety. Whether prompted from the community members’ reports or from officer observations, law enforcement agencies can use data collection tools to predict traffic patterns, prevent future crashes, and address traffic safety.

Preventing the Cause

Although patrol officers are spread out among a city, they are unable to observe everything that is occurring; therefore, in many instances, a law enforcement agency relies on its community’s reports.

JAMAR Technologies has been providing traffic data collection devices to police departments across the United States to address one core problem: speeding complaints. “The JAMAR traffic data collection devices allow departments to gather hard evidence of those locations where problems do, or do not, exist and how to prioritize enforcement,” said general manager Mike Overholt.³

Data collection tools used in the 1980s and 1990s, such as the road tube traffic counter, were installed across a roadway by officers. But as the emphasis on officer safety along the road continued to grow, JAMAR was prompted to create a noninvasive device with radar technology. Thus, the inception of the Law Enforcement II (LE II) Radar Recorder.

Once an agency receives a traffic safety complaint, in under 10 minutes, an officer can simply clamp the unassuming recorder to a telephone or sign pole and aim it toward the road that needs to be studied. Using a Windows-based laptop or tablet, the officer will connect to the device and program it to begin collecting data. It is then left attached to the pole to capture unbiased statistics for a set period.

After the data have been collected, the officer retrieves the recorder and downloads the data to a computer. The proprietary STARnext software used within JAMAR equipment creates reports so that the public can easily understand the results of the data collection. With features such as data verification, automated file processing, and custom report designing—all with a map interface, the STARnext software in the LE II Radar Recorder shows the agency the degree to which there is a need to increase enforcement at that location.⁴

Having accurate data can also allow agencies to transition their traffic safety strategies from reactive to proactive. This is the idea behind LexisNexis Coplogic Solutions’ data visualization tools, eCitation and eCrash, which allows agencies to quickly access dashboards, reports, and mapping in a cloud-based suite.

One of LexisNexis Coplogic Solutions’ goals is to eliminate the excess time that officers spend on scene; this goal is actualized through various widgets and features that allow officers to capture information quickly. When an officer pulls over a driver, they no longer need to handwrite the information, which can get thrown out in the court of law for ineligible handwriting. Instead, an officer can manually input required data into required fields or simply take an image of a driver’s license and the platform will automatically populate the data using eCitation. Due to the software’s dynamic validation rules, the data gets verified as officers are entering the information so that there is less chance of the data being returned by the state or court after the citation’s submission.

The intuitive eCrash user interface also increases officer productivity, decreasing their time at a traffic collision. With the diagramming package, officers are able to quickly create a depiction of what may have transpired during the crash. Officers can even geolocate an incident and pinpoint where they see the crash being committed. This feature is important not only in enhancing data entry but also for seeing hotspots or trends within the community.

“When we talk about crashes and citations, those are the vehicles that allow agency officers to capture information,” explained Salman Anwar, senior director at LexisNexis Coplogic Solutions. “Then, on the backend, the scalable visualizations and analytics platform that we are providing agencies can help them achieve that preventative strategy.”⁵ With eCitation and eCrash, data are shown through a comprehensive data analytics feature that eliminates the need for a crime analyst for those agencies who may lack resources to hire one. The analytics feature can show where an agency’s officers are deployed in comparison to where accidents are occurring and can even depict the population of drivers being stopped and what caused their distracted driving.

All of LexisNexis Coplogic Solutions’ tools are software and hardware agnostic, meaning they can be utilized via desktop, smartphone, or tablet.

Specialty Solutions

Obtaining these data is important, not only to ensure that agency resources are being deployed correctly but in identifying an alternative problem. In many instances, traffic engineers may need to be contacted to survey the road’s condition. Occasionally, agencies may be aware of when and why traffic patterns may be more heavily affected, such as for sporting events, festivals, and local fairs. Barrier manufacturers are often looked to for pedestrian safety during these events.

Delta Scientific (Delta) places an emphasis on stopping vehicles from inflicting heavy damage to pedestrians and infrastructure through its product line of wedge and beam barricades, bollards, and sliding gates. “People using vehicles to cause harm at events has really increased over the last 10–15 years,” said vice president of sales and marketing, Greg Hamm. “Law enforcement has really embraced the ability to use port-able barriers at these events to help alleviate this threat.”⁶ Within 30 minutes, Delta’s portable barriers can be towed into place and provide protection to officers, pedestrians, and event staff. The portable MP5000 barrier provides protection and allows emergency vehicles access to the event, while the portable TB100 bollards have risen in popularity as they can secure wider areas and allow pedestrian access.

The MP5000 doesn’t require any substructure installation and is operated off a 12 V DC power unit to raise and lower the barrier plate to allow vehicle access. It can also work off of an optional solar panel if power is not available. The crash-rated barrier can stop a 15,000-pound vehicle traveling at 40 mph. Delta offers lengths of 12, 16, and 20 feet. The TB100 bollards can stop a 15,000-pound vehicle traveling at 30 mph when connected in a group of five.

When comprehensive data and analytics tools are in place, agencies can find out where, when, and why crashes are occurring and use that information to implement solutions. By obtaining these data, agency leadership can make informed decisions, while also releasing data that can be accurately understood by the community and enhance officer productivity, build community relationships, and increase safety for all.d

Notes:

¹National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Early Estimates Show Overall Increase in Roadway Deaths in First Half of 2022, Second Quarter 2022 Projects First Decline Since 2020,” news release, September 19, 2022.

²See Vision Zero Network, “What Is the Vision Zero Network?” and the IACP, “The Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS).”

³Mike Overholt (general manager, JAMAR Technologies, Inc.) email interview, September 27, 2022.

⁴JAMAR Technologies, “STARnext: The Next Generation of Software for Traffic Analysis and Reporting.”

⁵Salman Anwar (senior director, LexisNexis Coplogic Solutions) phone interview, October 24, 2022.

⁶Greg Hamm (vice president of sales and marketing, Delta Scientific) email interview, September 30, 2022.