Traffic Direction and Control

1. ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE Traffic Direction and Control

2. I. INTRODUCTION A. One major responsibility of a police officer is to assure safeandefficientmovement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic on streets and highways.

3. 1. When automobiles began to appear in growing numbers, it became necessary to enact laws toregulatethe flow of traffic and thebehaviorof the drivers.

4. 2. It was only natural that law enforcement agencies be assigned the responsibility for enforcing those laws. a. New highways were constructed to connect urban areas with the countryside throughout the late 1920s and 1930s.

5. b. Law enforcement officers traffic direction and control responsibilities grew inscopewith the increase inhighways.

6. B. The police officer will be called upon to provide traffic control services at scenes offires, large crowds and gatherings,peak traffic flow hours, and traffic tie-ups caused byinclementweather or unusual conditions.

7. C. Whatever the problem, the patrol officer will be expected to address the problem the best way that they can andto call for whateverassistanceis necessary to alleviate the situation and restore it to normal.

8. D. Traffic control problems may be divided into fourgroups: 1. Moving hazardous traffic law violations. a. Violations of the law which create a hazardous situation and may contribute to a motor vehicle collision.

9. 2. Minormovingtraffic law violations. 3. Inattentiveness of drivers which can result in delays. 4. Motorists who resist following the directions of traffic controlmeasures and devices.

10. E. What is acceptable driving behavior at a given time and place depends upon three things: 1. The drivers interpretation of the expected standard ofbehavior. 2. How the motorist interprets directions given to him or her.

11. 3. How the individual patrol officer feels about thedriversbehaviorwhich occurs in his presence. a. What is acceptable or non‑acceptable drivingis based mainly ondecisionsand actions of the patrol officer.

12. (1) Most drivers base their driving habits on what is or is notenforcedby the patrol officer. (2) Motorists look to police officers present to provide them with clear and easy to understanddirections.

13. II. WHY ARE TRAFFIC CONTROLS NECESSARY? A. Traffic controls are an attempt to provide direction, organizationandorderto movement of traffic during times of events,traffic collisionsanddisasters.

14. 1. Traffic control reflects the beliefs, behavior and standards expected by motorists when attending large functions. 2. Special events, amusement parks, and theme parks posespecialproblems.

15. B. Even though safe and proper behavior may be well defined, drivers do not always voluntarily conform to the required behavior. 1. Traffic control seeks to obtainmaximumcompliance with safe driving rules by the majority of drivers.

16. 2. When the rate of driver errors goes down, traffic accidents willbe reduced. 3. Subsequently, when traffic control measures are effective and obeyed, therateof accidents will be reduced and the severity of damage to life and property will be minimized.

17.  C. When working traffic control, an officer’s most important job is to let drivers and pedestrians know what it is they are to do. 1. If motorists do not understand the officer’s signals, they will have trouble and so will the officer.

18. a. It is the responsibility of theofficerdirecting traffic to tellpeoplehow, when, and where they may move in their vehicles or on foot. b. The officer must see to it that both cars and pedestrians are all given anequalchance to move.

19.   2. What an officer actually does is to tell motorists how to behave. a. Officer’s need to be on hand to makedecisions and direct motorist movement when traffic is heavy.

20.   (1) Officer presence reduces drivers and pedestrians from trying to move and takefoolishchances.

21. 3. Drivers are seldom in a position where they can hearan officer’sverbal command to stop when necessary. a. Officer’s need to use a type of "sign language" that is clearly and universally understood by motorists.

22. 4. If each officer were to use his or her own signal system, different from all other officers who direct traffic,chaos would result. a. It is imperative for all officers to use a uniform system when directing traffic.

23. Equally important are use of and gestures that motorists can see from a long way off.

24. III. HOW TRAFFIC CONTROL ENFORCEMENT AFFECTS DRIVERS A. To understand enforcement and how it influences driving behavior, it is necessary to understand someprinciplesof human behavior.

25. 1. People never do anything without a reason. 2. The "why" of any given action may result from a combination of factors. a. Some are in the person and some from theenvironment.

26. 3. To explore fully all the "why" of human behavior would be an extremely difficult task.

27. 4. There are certain principles which are helpful in understanding enforcement. a. These may be divided into two general categories. (1) Positive motives. (a) Motives which induce a person to seek something for satisfaction.

28. (2) Negative motives. (a) Motives which cause us to avoid actions that will be unpleasant.

29. 5. When these motives conflict with each other, the motive which is the strongest will prevail. a. If our motivation toward desire for unacceptable driving behavior is stronger than our motive for obeying traffic controls, we will usually behave in an unacceptable manner.

30. 6. Our concern is primarily with situations in which desire conflicts with what isacceptablebehavior.

31. 7. Adequate police presence that is frequent and certain, produces a strong desire tocomplywith traffic control measures. a. Adequate staffing and appearance of confidence createsvoluntarycompliance.

32. b. Strict and impartialenforcement leads to developing greatervoluntarycompliance and less confrontations.

33. IV. OFFICER SAFETY AND TRAFFIC CONTROL A. Officers have a very difficult task in directing and controlling traffic at a collision scene. 1. The amount of traffic on the roadway combined with thecuriosityfactor of the publicdistracts drivers from operating their vehicle in a safe manner.

34. 2. Over the years law enforcement has seen a major change in the availableequipment utilized in traffic accident scene management. a. For example the"arrowstick" is being added to the majority of the newer style police light bars.

35. (1) These traffic directional light controls can more effectively gain the attention of thecuriousmotorist. (2) Once their attention is gained, the device directs the motorist toward the area intended for their travel.

36. b. The use of the arrow stick light bar will also keep motorists from needing to ask questions as they pass the collision scene.

37. B. Safety is a primary concern in traffic scene management. 1. Officers have been injured or killedwhilesettingflare patterns and directing traffic at collision scenes.

38. a. Officers wearing dark blue uniforms are very difficult to see due to the non‑reflective nature of the uniform material. b. Many officers have had close calls while directing trafficatacollisionscene.

39. 2. Officers should make use of any available lighting that will help illuminate both themselves and the roadway. a. The public will bedistractedwhile passing through an accident location and will not see an officer in the roadway.

40. 3. Some police departments have started issuing an orange striped vest for the officers to wear over their uniforms forhighervisibility. 4. Consider the placement of the patrol vehicle in respect to the roadway andwhere traffic direction will take place.

41. 5. Roadway and weather conditions may add to the visibility problem motorists have in seeing an officer both during the day and evening. a. Consider patrol vehicle placement in relationship to thedamagedvehicles.

42. b. Many officers no longer carry whistles, but this may be a useful tool to get the attention of the daydreaming motorist. (1) A whistle may also be viewed as less aggressive than yelling at a motorist.

43. 6. A flare pattern or police unit itself will not handle the traffic flow without some help from the officer. a. Many officers set a flare pattern and become distracted by the collision scene as well as passing motorists.

44. b. Left unattended the flare pattern burns out, and vehicles begin to drive around the police unit.

45. C. Patience has proven to be the best way to direct traffic. 1. Officers must expect that some motorists will be confused.

46.  a. Be prepared for the passing motorist to askquestions. b. Many of these citizens have been driving this same roadway for many years and suddenly their driving pattern is being changed.

47. 2. Plan the flare pattern, patrol unit placement, or barricades in such a way as to facilitate the smoothest flowof traffic possible for theproblemat hand. a. Try not to become frustrated at the motorist who appears to be totally lost.

48. 3. A secondary problem in traffic flow outside of the incident scene is "rubber neckers."a. Manysecondary collisions outside of the original accident scene are due to the lack of attention by the passing drivers.

49. b. Maintaining on going traffic direction and constant urging of the traffic flow can sometimes avert this type of activity.

50. V. TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES A. The main purpose of traffic control devices is to warn, guideanddirectvehicular and pedestrian traffic.