Why Do Officers Conduct Traffic Stops?
No one likes to get a ticket, but if a ticket deters someone from doing things that put the community’s safety at risk, we all benefit. In addition to reducing injuries and deaths on our roadways, officers save us money. For example, an uninsured driver not wearing a seat belt speeds down the road, loses control and hits a guardrail. Who pays for rescue and emergency services? Who pays for his hospital stay and physical therapy? Who pays for the guardrail repair? It is not the careless driver, but your local government, which is generously funded by you, the taxpayer. Costs are controlled every time patrol officers enforce the laws. This is another reason why officers encourage us to do things – like wearing our seat belts, using child safety seats for our little ones, and not driving under to influence. Traffic Stops Are Dangerous Many officers are killed each year and thousands more are injured in traffic related incidences. For example, in 1998, about half of all officer line of dut
