In the United States, more people die from traffic crashes than from criminal incidents each year. Since 2012, there have been more than 30,000 U.S. traffic fatalities yearly. During the same period, on average, there were 16,000 murder and nonnegligent manslaughter cases.

Most people in the United States have a greater chance of dying or getting injured in a traffic crash than in a criminal incident. Still, for various reasons, traffic safety is often relegated to a much lesser position in the world of public safety. Leaders in law enforcement need to adopt a holistic approach to public safety and listen to their communities’ concerns. Communities across the United States want traffic enforcement, but—just as in policing in general—traffic enforcement is haunted by its past scars, making enforcement a more complicated subject in some communities. The profession must learn from its past and not allow it to prevent future progress.