NCJ Number
45604
Date Published
1976
Length
69 pages
Annotation
THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM'S (STEP) PROJECT DIRECTOR REGARDING FIVE EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED IN TWO NORTH DAKOTA COUNTIES ARE REPORTED.
Abstract
STEP WAS CONDUCTED OVER A 3-YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING JULY 1972 THROUGH JUNE 1975 AND; IT OPERATED IN A RURAL ENVIRONMENT. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE WAS TO SECURE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE WITH EXISTING TRAFFIC LAWS BY THE MOTORING PUBLIC AND TO PROVIDE FOR A REDUCTION IN TRAFFIC CRASHES AND THEIR SEVERITY. IN GRAND FORKS COUNTY, LINE AND CONSPICUOUS OBSERVATION PATROLS WERE DETERMINED TO BE INSTRUMENTAL IN REDUCING TRAFFIC CRASHES AND THEIR SEVERITY AT A TIME WHEN THEY WERE INCREASING COMPLIANCE BY THE MOTORING PUBLIC WITH THE SPEED REGULATIONS. A CORRELATION STUDY WAS MADE TO DETERMINE IF ACCIDENTS AND INJURY DATA WOULD RELATE TO MANPOWER ASSIGNMENTS; AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND TO EXIST BETWEEN MANPOWER ASSIGNMENTS AND ACCIDENTS. PREARREST BREATH TESTING DEVICES WERE ASSIGNED TO ARRESTING OFFICERS AND RESULTS COMPARED TO A CONTROL GROUP. THE OFFICERS WITH THE DEVICE MADE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ARRESTS WITH A LOWER BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION LEVEL THAN THOSE WITHOUT THE DEVICE. A SPECIAL SPEED STUDY UTILIZING SPEED RECORDING EQUIPMENT AND VARIED MANPOWER ALLOCATION WAS INCONCLUSIVE DUE TO EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS RESULTING IN INADEQUATE DATA. A DEMOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF EACH OF THE COUNTIES IS PROVIDED. THE OBJECTIVES, OPERATIONAL PLAN, AND RESULTS OF EACH OF THE EXPERIMENTS ARE DETAILED. PUBLIC INFORMATION MATERIALS DESCRIBING THE PROGRAM AND URGING COOPERATION ARE REPRODUCED. FOR FINAL EVALUATION REPORT ON THIS PROJECT, SEE NCJ #45603. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--VDA)