This brief discusses how using citywide populations as the benchmark for assessing racial disparities in police stops overstates bias and misrepresents the realities of policing. 

Adapted from  Ratcliffe, J.H. & Hyland, S.S. (2025). Police stops and naïve denominators. Crime Science, 14(10).

Submitted by: IACP Drug Recognition Expert Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) 

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (“IACP”) recognizes that drug-impaired driving constitutes a significant roadway safety problem; and 

WHEREAS, there is limited awareness that drugged drivers are less frequently detected, prosecuted, or referred to treatment when compared with alcohol impaired drivers; and 

WHEREAS, according to reports such as the U.S 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 13.6 million people drove under the influence of drugs in the U.S. (1); and the Canadian 2020 Police-Reported Crime Statistics show a 15.6% increase from 2019 to 2021 in the number of police reported drug-driving incidents (5); and

WHEREAS, an analysis of impaired driving laws indicates there is a lack of uniformity or consistency in how jurisdictions/political subdivisions deal with drugged drivers (2); and

WHEREAS, there is a need for national leadership in the U.S. and Canada to develop model statutes and to encourage jurisdictions to modify their laws to be more effective when dealing with impairing substances and/or drugs; and

WHEREAS, impaired driving data should differentiate between drugged driving and alcohol-impaired driving to better understand the impact of drugged driving, and

WHEREAS, traffic fatalities involving polysubstance use involving two or more impairing drugs in combination, with cannabis and alcohol being the most common combination, and which doubled from 2000 to 2018 in the U.S. (3); and

WHEREAS, according to the IACP Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) annual reports, from 2018 to 2022, approximately 41 percent of all drug influence evaluations conducted by DREs in the United States and Canada involved multiple drugs and/or substances (4); and 

WHEREAS, incidents of impaired driving involving impairing drugs combined with alcohol are up to 200 times more likely to cause a crash (5) and should therefore result in additional sanctions; be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP recommends all states, provinces, and territories adopt impaired driving laws to include any impairing substance and/or impairing drug and enact laws that create additional sanctions when a combination of impairing drugs and alcohol are involved in impaired driving incidents; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the IACP recommends all states, provinces, and territories support and encourage prosecutors to vigorously prosecute all offenders violating impaired driving laws including those offenses involving impairing substances and/or impairing drugs and any offenses when a combination of impairing drugs and alcohol are involved. 

1. NSDUH, https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-nsduh-detailed-tables
2. NHTSA, “2016 Digest of State Laws: Driving Under the Influence of Drugs”, DOT HS 812 468, Mar 2016
3. NHTSA, “Drug Impaired Driving”, https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drug-impaired 
4. IACP DRE Annual Reports, 2018 – 2022
5. Public Safety Canada, “Annual National Data Report to Inform Trends and Patterns in Drug-Impaired Driving”, 2022

Submitted by: Roadway Safety Committee, State & Provincial Police Division, Midsize Agencies Division, and State Associations of Chiefs of Police Division

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police are concerned with the safety of police officers, firefighters, other emergency workers, tow truck operators, and roadway service workers as they perform their duties on roadways; and

WHEREAS, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, every year police officers are killed or seriously injured in struck by vehicle incidents, i.e., at the time of their deaths they were conducting traffic stops, roadblocks, directing traffic, assisting motorists, or were engaged in similar activities; and

WHEREAS, in an effort to safeguard police officers, firefighters, other emergency workers, tow truck operators, and roadway service workers whose duties require them to utilize the roadside, all 50 states and some countries have enacted Move Over legislation that typically requires motorists to either change lanes and/or slow down when approaching a law enforcement or emergency services vehicle that is parked or stopped on the roadside; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police support education and enforcement of Move Over legislation; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police support international efforts to ensure the roadside safety of police officers, firefighters, other emergency workers, tow truck operators, and roadway service workers in countries around the world.

Submitted by: IACP Division of State & Provincial Police, Roadway Safety Committee, Midsize Agencies Division, State Associations of Chiefs of Police Division

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), led by the Division of State and Provincial Police, State Associations of Chiefs of Police, and the Roadway Safety Committee, recognize law enforcement leaders have an obligation to work together to reduce highway fatalities; and

WHEREAS, in 2022 over 42,000 lives were lost on US highways due to traffic related crashes and roadway fatalities; and

WHEREAS, to safeguard the public as well as first responders and other emergency personnel whose duties require them to utilize the roadside, the Division of State and Provincial Police, State Associations of Chiefs of Police, and Roadway Safety Committee will lead an effort to reduce highway fatalities by supporting the National Road to Zero campaign; and

WHEREAS, the success of this campaign will be achieved by committing to data-driven enforcement focusing on speed enforcement, and targeting impaired and distracted driving, and seat belt usage. The campaign will also include enforcement actions against the unsafe driving behaviors of the operators of large trucks and buses; and

WHEREAS, this will be accomplished through educational and awareness programs, such as the National Road to Zero campaign and the nationwide Move Over campaign, fair and equitable high-visibility traffic enforcement, and the commitment to strengthening partnerships at all levels; and

WHEREAS, every year, surface transportation is involved in thousands of train strikes at highway grade crossings and along railroad right-of-way in North America. Although highway grade crossing elimination is preferred, this is not always feasible due to engineering and other constraints. Where elimination is not possible, active warning systems and other safety measures are pursued, yet these still rely on public compliance to be effective. To further bolster highway grade crossing safety measures to reduce the risk of trespassing and train strike incidents, injuries, and fatalities, the National Road to Zero campaign introduces a human countermeasure by providing support and education to local law enforcement agencies to provide regular grade-crossing enforcement activities at data-driven sites designed to change behavior, improve safety, and reduce accidents, keeping both rail passengers and the motoring public safe; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the IACP supports the effort of the National Road to Zero campaign; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED the Drive to Save Lives/Drive to Zero campaign is a multiyear, ongoing effort by state police and highway patrols, county sheriffs, and municipal police agencies, to prevent the needless deaths that occur on roadways each year; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED the IACP recommends all nations, states, provinces, and territories participate in efforts to reduce highway fatalities.