Public Misunderstanding of "Officer Safety"
How many times have you been pulled over by a police officer, and when the confrontation was complete you said to yourself, "Boy, was he rude!" or
"There was no need for him to treat me like that." Well, unfortunately, the public is prone to misinterpret an officer being safe for being rude.
Unfortunately, the actions taken during a "routine" traffic stop which are interpreted as being rude are necessary steps that insure the safety of both officer and civilian.
Imagine for a moment that you are a police officer on duty. You observe a vehicle traveling 36 miles per hour on a 30 mile per hour road. You decide to stop the vehicle and give the driver a verbal warning in hopes that he will slow down and avoid an accident further down the road. As you walk up to the driver's side window, you are shot 10 times in the face and chest and the driver leaves you for dead. This situation actually occurred in San Diego, CA, 18 months ago. Many like it occur every day, and this is in the forefront of the mind of every officer.
Another thing that an officer must keep in mind during a traffic stop is the safety of the civilian driver. Same situation as above, but instead, as the vehicle stops, the driver gets out of his car and is struck by a passing motorist. Again, this happens more than you would like to believe....
“We will catch you and there will be consequences, criminal consequences, loss of licenses and even a jail term,” Col. Thomas Robbins, Massachusetts State Police warned aggressive drivers at the launch of ‘Road Respect’, a Spring Mobilization program at the Newton Police headquarters on the morning of April 4.
engineer, and if any part of it fails the passenger could get hurt if not killed.
... you must avoid high-traffic areas because there are chances that the vehicle may need alignment. If the vehicle starts pulling on either sides or is not driving properly, then you will have to perform alignment.
slide his ID under the door. Dont stop on the road to help a motorist
Commonly, vehicular collisions are considered a negative occurrence. Dave Eggers hints towards this mindset in his short story Accident. Plotted in the middle of an intersection in 2005, the story commences with the main character driving his automobile through the intersection and striking an older Camaro. The three teenagers in the Camaro are fine, but the main character notices all the damage he has done to their vehicle and he fears an unpleasant encounter with them. Dave Eggers uses irony throughout the situation to illustrate the main character’s relief. The characters’ involvement with the collision emphasizes Egger’s theme that no matter how unfortunate an incident, positivity can result.
ridiculous, might just let a speeding car go by if no harm is being done. On the contrary,
“ You pasted a stop sign, then a stop light, and almost caused a car crash,” he said “ can you please step out of the vehicle.”
There is a divide between the public perception of law enforcement. Race is a recurring theme in the opinion on law enforcement. Law Enforcement officers are here to serve and protect its citizens and communities, but that is not always the case. This paper will discuss these racial perceptions, media portrayal, and what can be done to improve the relationship.
not many cars on the road encouraging me to drive faster. I had just gone
First, you will need to find a safe spot to pull over. If you’re on the freeway, the safest thing to do would be to take the next exit even if you have to drive with a flat tire. If you’re not on the freeway then just pull as far to the right shoulder as possible. Don’t park
lanes or merge on or off the highway in order to exit; drivers racing other drivers;
In the event that you were included in an accident with another driver's car, bring down the accompanying portions and be readied to respond:
The major cause of aggressive driving is the discourteous or inattentive driver. Driving behaviors include changing lanes to closely, tailgating and "the number one cause is the left lane hog." (Larson 1) These seemingly small errors infuriate the potentially aggressive driver and cause a transformation indescribable to man kind. Reduced law enforcement, highway traffic, the growing congestion is cities, and personal issues play a large role in the disposition of the aggressive driver. Then the angry driver may demonstrate his or her displeasure by speeding around the other vehicle, cutting the other car off, and or with a number of verbal and non-verbal messages. Though the driver may feel justified in his or her action, but the display in most times is very dangerous and often will result in damage to one or both cars involved.
everyday. Without question, Media in the news has been growing for more than twenty years,
C. The angry driver then may demonstrate his displeasure by speeding around the other vehicle, cutting the other driver off or with a number of verbal and nonverbal messages.