WHEREAS, an average of one alcohol-related crash occurs in our nation every 31 minutes, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and

WHEREAS, approximately 17,000 people are killed annually in alcohol-related crashes; and

WHEREAS, about three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash during their lifetimes; and

WHEREAS, alcohol-related crashes, injuries and fatalities cost society more than $46 billion in lost productivity, medical care, property damage, and other direct expenditures annually; and

WHEREAS, the social ramifications and effects of DUI transcend the law enforcement community and its ability to solely combat the problem of impaired driving; and

WHEREAS, existing community policing programs, with established contacts, have officers in place to facilitate community relationships focused on the dangers and consequences of driving under the influence; and

WHEREAS, THE U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration established a nationwide effort, “Partners in Progress” to confront the issue and that entity has adopted a challenging goal to reduce alcohol-related fatalities to 11,000 by 2005; and

WHEREAS, Partners in Progress has, over the course of two years, developed a cooperative approach and established multi-faceted strategies for reducing the number of impaired drivers to accomplish their goal and increase the safety of our nation’s highways; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, adopts the Partners in Progress goal to reduce alcohol-related fatalities to 11,000 by 2005; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP supports the adoption of the Partners in Progress: Impaired Driving Guide.

WHEREAS, The International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly supports and participates in efforts to reduce and minimize traffic crashes; and

WHEREAS, Work zones constitute only a small fraction of the nation’s total highway mileage, yet hundreds die at these sites annually with thousands more injured; and

WHEREAS, Work zone fatalities account for disproportionate number of all highway traffic fatalities; and

WHEREAS, Enforcement within work zones has proven effective in reducing the numbers and severity of traffic crashes; and

WHEREAS, Some construction sites are inherently more dangerous than others and warrant dedicated enforcement and safety techniques beyond normal patrol functions; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, urges the U.S. Department of Transportation to encourage coordinated efforts with all jurisdictions to ensure continued cooperation between traffic law enforcement and transportation agencies regarding work zone safety; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the emphasis on work zone safety be supported by highway construction funding dedicated to specific and necessary traffic law enforcement beyond normal patrol responsibilities.

WHEREAS, operating a law enforcement vehicle in a pursuit situation exposes the public, the violator and the officer to a far greater danger than other law enforcement actions; and

WHEREAS, a pursuit is defined as “an event that is initiated when a law enforcement officer, operating an authorized emergency vehicle, gives notice to stop (either through the use of visual or audible emergency signals or a combination of emergency devices) to a motorist whom the officer is attempting to apprehend, and that motorist fails to comply with the signal by either maintaining his/her speed, increasing speed or taking other evasive action to elude the officer’s continued attempts to stop the motorist,” and

WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation more than 1,700 fatalities occurred as a result of law enforcement vehicular pursuits over the past five years; and

WHEREAS, the deaths and injuries of officers resulting from vehicle collisions now outnumber those that result from armed confrontations; and

WHEREAS, despite the risks, the nature of law enforcement work often requires officers to engage in pursuits in order to effectively enforce the law; and

WHEREAS, there is nothing glamorous or desirable about being involved in a vehicular pursuit in which officers must view pursuits for what they are, potentially life threatening situations, now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP opposes the use of televised live and recorded law enforcement vehicular pursuits to the public; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP opposes law enforcement officers and agencies from supplying audio or video recordings of law enforcement vehicular pursuits for the purpose of being televised to the public.

WHEREAS, aggressive driving can be defined as “committing a sequence of moving traffic violations in a short period of time which occur in the presence of other vehicles and endangers persons and/or property”; and

WHEREAS, aggressive driving frequently leads to the assaultive behavior that has become commonly known as “road rage”; and

WHEREAS, traffic crash statistics show that aggressive driving habits are causal factors in a significant number of traffic deaths and injuries; and

WHEREAS, public opinion polls indicate that citizens fear aggressive drivers and support increased police traffic enforcement; and

WHEREAS, failure to address aggressive driving undermines public confidence in law enforcement and promotes disrespect for the law; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police urges all law enforcement agencies to adopt strategies to curb the incidence of aggressive driving; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is encouraged to develop incentive programs that provide additional highway safety funds for intensified traffic enforcement efforts to jurisdictions with laws that enable law enforcement to use technology; as well as promote research into the psychodynamics of aggressive driving; and that prosecutors and courts are encouraged to treat aggressive driving as the danger to public safety that it is; and that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the National Highway Safety Administration; National Sheriffs’ Association, the National Center for State Courts; and the National District Attorneys Association.

WHEREAS, education and enforcement offer the most promise for the future in deterring and eliminating underage sale, consumption, impaired driving and

WHEREAS, young drivers are inexperienced, do drink and drive and when impaired /intoxicated do not wear their seat belts, and

WHEREAS, underage drivers comprise 7% of all licensed drivers but account for 15% of the drivers involved in fatal crashes, and

WHEREAS, historically, over 2,200 youths die annually in alcohol related crashes, which was 35% of their total traffic fatalities, and

WHEREAS, one out of three high school students, approximately 4.6 million youths, experience problems with alcohol before leaving high school, and

WHEREAS, recent studies indicate that 40% of college students have driven after drinking, and that 40% of the students knowingly rode with a driver who had too much to drink, and:

WHEREAS, alcohol is the major cause of all fatal and non-fatal crashes involving teenage drivers, and;

WHEREAS, almost half of all youth weekend fatalities were alcohol related, now, therefore, be it,

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police urges all law enforcement agencies to evaluate their programs which deal with underage drinking, develop interagency and inter-disciplinary consortiums to attack this epidemic problem of underage drinking and driving through education of the underage population, and coordinate diversified specific enforcement efforts to combat underage drinking and driving

WHEREAS, for some years now, uniformed law enforcement officers in marked police vehicles have been used at construction highway sites; and

WHEREAS, the use of the aforementioned police officers and vehicles is alleged to create safer working conditions; and

WHEREAS, the use of such officers on highway construction sites has oft times caused friction between neighboring law enforcement agencies; and

WHEREAS, the use of such police officers and their vehicles has also caused friction between state police agencies and local police agencies; and

WHEREAS, the use of police officers and police vehicles at highway construction sites costs millions of dollars per year; and

WHEREAS, the funds diverted to compensate police officers and their agencies for presence at highway construction sites could more likely build more roads, and/or purchase equipment that would provide real safety for highway construction workers; and

WHEREAS, financial opportunities provided by assignment to highway construction work sites often affects the productivity, dedication, and focus of those officers assigned from their true mission as police officers; and

WHEREAS, the use of such officers is of questionable utility and efficacy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the State and Provincial Division of the International Association of Chiefs of Police respectfully urges the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct a valid study to determine the efficacy and true utility of uniformed police officers and marked police vehicles at highway construction sites.

WHEREAS, Single unit trucks are often operated during the early morning hours, en route to pick up or deliver the first load of the day, under conditions of reduced visibility, and at the same time as morning commuter traffic; and

WHEREAS, They are often operated on secondary highways and because of load and/or terrain are traveling at reduced speed; and

WHEREAS, The design of single unit trucks is such that rear lighting is often mounted low and squeezed into the space separating the rear tires of the vehicle. Under conditions of reduced visibility this lighting configuration disguises the true size of the vehicle; and

WHEREAS, They are often operated under extreme conditions where dirt, debris or damage deteriorates the effectiveness of the rear lighting; and

WHEREAS, In 1994, nationwide, in 73 percent of all fatal commercial vehicle crashes, the first harmful event was collision with another vehicle in transport; and

WHEREAS, In 1994, commercial vehicle crashes involving single unit trucks comprised 19.9 percent of the fatal commercial vehicles crashes and 21.1 percent of the non-fatal commercial vehicle crashes; and

WHEREAS, A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) between 1980 and 1985 concluded that truck-trailer combinations equipped with retroreflective materials to increase their conspicuity at night and under other conditions of reduced visibility were involved in 15 percent fewer crashes than combinations lacking the material; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 104th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, encourages the NHTSA to continue research to identify the merits of amending the conspicuity standards of 49 CFR 571.108 to include similar standards for single unit trucks.

WHEREAS, Electronic information technology is an integral component of most facets of modern society; and

WHEREAS, Continued advancement in electronic information technologies are inevitable; and

WHEREAS, Digitization and computerization of data will become the predominant data media in the future; and

WHEREAS, Computerization of information is capable of improving access to, and transfer of, information from multiple sources; and

WHEREAS, Data sharing among public service agencies is capable of improving public services; and

WHEREAS, Effective law enforcement in contemporary society requires quick access to information from a variety of sources, including law enforcement agencies, departments of transportation, departments of motor vehicles, and others; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 104th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, encourages all countries and political subdivisions thereof to provide financial support for computerization, data access, data transfer, and data sharing technologies for public safety agencies, and that the formats adopted will be such that data may be shared with other jurisdictions.

WHEREAS, Fatigued driving is an impairment; and

WHEREAS, Driver impairment due to fatigue can be as dangerous as driver impairment by drugs and/or alcohol; and

WHEREAS, There is limited statistical data on crashes resulting from fatigued driving; and

WHEREAS, There is limited public awareness on fatigue and sleep deprivation as it relates to driving; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 104th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, encourages all law enforcement jurisdictions to use every opportunity to raise the awareness level for police officers and the general public on the impact of fatigue as it relates to the driver; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the IACP encourages law enforcement to identify, through crash data collection and analysis, the percentage of crashes that are caused by fatigued driving. This can be accomplished by continuing research and studying those crashes that have characteristics common to a driver who has fallen asleep and identifying methods of prevention.

WHEREAS, With the passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991, Congress introduced a new era for transportation, calling for more efficient and safe use of existing highway and intermodal infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Title VI of ISTEA established the program prescribing the widespread implementation of ITS to enhance the capacity, efficiency, and safety of the federal-aid highway system; and

WHEREAS, The national ITS program, administered by the US Department of Transportation has advanced the state of the technology, demonstrated substantial public benefits, fostered new models of institutional cooperation and begun to change how Americans travel; and

WHEREAS, Coordination of ITS programs (i.e. incident management, commercial vehicle operation, enforcement, safety, emergency management to name a few) with affected law enforcement agencies is necessary to maintain the momentum and success of the ITS agenda; and

WHEREAS, State level enforcement administrators in partnership with their Departments of Transportation and local counterparts are positioned to ensure the most effective use of federal funding to create, deploy and manage the execution of ITS within their respective jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, State level law enforcement and their local counterparts must be active participants in ITS operational tests to foster a safe environment for the motoring public; and

WHEREAS, State level law enforcement and their local counterparts must be active in ITS when it enters into phase two of the program. This phase includes: Near term - the next five years, focusing on facilitating the national deployment of ITS; and Long term - five to twenty years, focusing on supporting the research and testing of more sophisticated technologies; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 104th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, supports the National Intelligent Transportation System agenda and strongly believes that if implemented properly can bring about significant improvement in safety, congestion and will provide a comfortable environment for travelers; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the IACP will establish within the Roadway Safety Committee a subcommittee to evaluate those concerns of law enforcement not currently integrated or addressed in the National Intelligent Transportation System Program.

WHEREAS, Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for children over six months of age; and

WHEREAS, The proper use of child safety seats and safety belts has proven effective in reducing highway fatalities and injuries to children; and

WHEREAS, All fifty states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws requiring the use of child passenger safety protection systems; and

WHEREAS, The International Association of Chiefs of Police has supported activities and programs to increase safety belt and child safety seat usage; and

WHEREAS, Although passenger side air bags have been credited with saving more than 1500 lives, at least 50 children have been killed and many others seriously injured by deploying passenger side air bags, and

WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as several highway safety leaders and organizations urge motorists never to seat infants or small children in the front seat of air bag equipped vehicles, and that the safest place for infants and children is in the rear seat; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 104th annual conference in Orlando, Florida, urges all law enforcement agencies to support efforts to encourage motorists to properly restrain infants and children in the rear seat at all times; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the IACP encourages all law enforcement agencies to vigorously enforce safety belt and child restraint laws and ordinances as part of their overall efforts to ensure the safety of the communities they serve; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the IACP encourages NHTSA to continue to work with the automobile manufacturers and other partners to reduce the possible hazards created by air bags, without compromising the safety benefits of these devices.

WHEREAS, Traffic safety is an issue of paramount concern to American leaders and citizens; and

WHEREAS, A motor vehicle and railroad train collision occurs about every 90 minutes in the United States, and more than half of highway/rail crashes at public crossings occur where active warning devices exist; and

WHEREAS, In 1995, 4,633 crashes occurred nationwide at highway/rail crossings resulting in 597 fatalities and 1,894 injuries; and

WHEREAS, Enforcement of existing laws governing motorist action at grade crossings is essential in helping to reduce the number of collisions that result in more than 2,000 deaths and serious injuries each year; and

WHEREAS, Enforcement is one of the key elements in reducing the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities at highway/rail intersections and along railroad rights of way; and

WHEREAS, For the last 25 years law enforcement agencies nationally have participated in such programs as Officer on the Train, Adopt a Crossing, Grade Crossing Collision Prevention and Investigation classes, emergency vehicle driver training and others; and

WHEREAS, The IACP members working with Operation Lifesaver, a nationwide non-profit program, have helped prevent more than 7,200 deaths and 31,000 injuries since 1974; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 104th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, will commit to reducing the number of preventable tragedies at highway/rail grade crossings, will encourage law enforcement agencies to actively participate in and promote railroad crossing safety, and will encourage strict enforcement of railroad crossing laws.