Operation Partnership MISSOURI

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Traffic safety statistics indicate that exceeding the posted speed limit and driving too fast for road conditions are the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. Nationally, 30 percent of all fatal crashes in 1995 were speed-related. The total economic costs of these speed-related crashes is nearly $24 billion each year. Compounding problems associated with speeding is the fact that the national safety belt usage rate in 1994 was 67 percent, below the Secretary of Transportation's goal of 75 percent by 1997. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data reveals that correct use of safety belts increases chances of surviving a traffic crash by 51 percent. Cooperative efforts among states enable law enforcement officers to help decrease the incidence of speeding on highways and more thoroughly address the overall issue of traffic safety.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of Operation Partnership project was to promote and increase compliance with traffic laws through education and enforcement in order to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes on three specific interstate highways. Specific objectives included:

Increasing police traffic enforcement on Interstates 10, 44 and 55

Prohibiting illegal activity

Reminding motorists of the importance of traffic safety issues

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

Operation Partnership focused on three of the nation's interstates: Interstate 10, which crosses the southern portion of the country from Florida to California; Interstate 44, which originates in St. Louis, Missouri and extends through Oklahoma into Texas; and

Operation Partnership (cont'd)

Interstate 55, which stretches from Lake Michigan near Chicago to New Orleans. The program consisted of a 24-hour concentrated enforcement effort spanning 13 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and Illinois.

State Police and Highway Patrol agency officials and traffic safety organizations from all 13 states held a planning meeting in June 1995 in St. Louis to discuss details of the project. More than 1,500 law enforcement officers participated in promoting traffic safety during the effort, which was carried out on September 21, 1995. The event was not publicized in advance, but six hours after getting underway, a news release was issued to the media. Although law enforcement officers issued tickets for violations, their primary objective was not to see how many tickets could be issued during the time period. Instead, their aim was to increase public awareness of the importance of practicing safe driving habits. Motorists who were stopped received an educational brochure that provided information and statistics on injuries and fatalities resulting from traffic crashes. In addition to law enforcement agencies, five federal agencies participated in implementing Operation Partnership. They included NHTSA, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC).

RESULTS

Nearly 8,500 traffic tickets were issued nationwide on September 5th, including 4,367 speeding tickets. Officers arrested 85 impaired drivers and placed 352 commercial vehicles out of service during this operation for various violations. In addition to significant traffic enforcement activity, officers apprehended over 50 fugitives and made 105 criminal arrests, including 59 for drug-related offenses. Operation Partnership clearly demonstrates how collaboration among enforcement agencies can significantly increase safety on our nation's highways.