The role of traffic enforcement as part of the “safe systems approach” to making the roads safer is at a critical juncture in the United States. Traffic enforcement has declined while traffic crashes and fatalities have risen to levels not seen in more than a decade. The reasons are many and complex.

The effects of the pandemic and several high-profile use-of-force incidents resulted in civil unrest; calls for reduced traffic enforcement; and in some jurisdictions, legislation impacting traffic enforcement practices and policies.