City Spends Millions on Cop Car Crashes
The Tulsa Police Department reports a disproportionate number of police accidents that occur during law enforcement pursuits.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports although police pursuits take the life of one person a day, police departments are not required to track these incidences. “A department that’s not tracking pursuits is asking for trouble,” and officials note incidences involving firearms are not neglected like police pursuit accidents.
In 2006, Chicago spent $7 million on settling lawsuits involving police pursuits, and usually, lawsuits become classified as “motor vehicle accidents” when pedestrians are hit or accidents occur at intersections.
Experts note that police departments taking the time to investigate average pursuit speeds, numbers of injuries, and numbers of deaths related to police pursuits are better equipped to institute policies to reduce those numbers through officer training programs focusing on driving skills.
The Chicago Police Department’s vehicle pursuit policy does not refer to any driver training programs for officers.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from Northwest Indiana News (06/06/07); Luntz, Taryn.