PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
During 1997, the state of Wisconsin experienced 129,954 motor vehicle crashes, 60 percent of which occurred on county truck highways and local roads. There were 721 people killed and 63,166 injured as a result of these crashes. Of the fatalities, 43 percent involved alcohol, 31 percent involved excessive speed and 15 percent involved both alcohol and excessive speed.

Several other high risk driver behaviors also contributed to the number and severity of motor vehicle crashes. These include inattentive driving, disregard for traffic signals, failure to yield, unsafe lane changing, following too closely and failure to use seat belts and child passenger restraints properly.

Law enforcement efforts statewide were seriously challenged by the magnitude of these traffic policing issues. Using the concept of Community Policing, law enforcement agencies recognized that traffic safety problems, along with quality of life issues in any community, are not the sole responsibility of law officers. These issues can be addressed successfully by appealing to the cooperation of the community to supplement the efforts of the existing police actions.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The principal goal of the Preventing Broken Windshields Traffic Management Seminar, presented in 1998, was to reduce traffic crashes and establish safer communities in Wisconsin. This goal was realized through a combination of community partnerships and problem solving. Objectives of the seminar were to

• Analyze common traffic safety problems
• Discuss the impact of crashes and the benefits of community traffic policing efforts
• Create a desire to work toward achieving a safer community

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Preventing Broken Windshields Traffic Management Seminar was a collaborative effort of Wisconsin's Safe and Sober Task Force of law enforcement officers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's (WisDOT) Bureau of Transportation Safety. The presentation combined three philosophies: Community Policing, Problem-Oriented Policing and Safe Communities.

The one-day seminar was presented at eight centrally located sites throughout Wisconsin. The material presented was designed for the following groups: field training officers; roll call officers and traffic supervisors or patrol officers with a particular interest in traffic safety. The seminars utilized a variety of training methodologies, and attendees received a large three-ring binder containing a variety of resources obtained from the seminar. Specially chosen speakers provided insight into community policing and problem-oriented policing.

RESULTS
The attendees of the seminar included 260 police officers. Feedback provided by the majority of these officers indicated that participating in the seminar changed their attitudes about the value of traffic policing in creating safer communities. Participants emphasized the value of seminar worksheets, information sheets on economic loss and the tool box materials.

SPRING 1999