A Storm of a Year
2020 has introduced a whole new dimension into the average citizen’s life, but for police enforcement it’s been quite the storm.
It’s been the year of lockdown orders and discussions of whether police is responsible for enforcing them. It’s been a year of riots and orders to stand down. 2020 was certainly not a simple year to be involved in the lifesaving position of American police officers.
But with a promising vaccine ahead and an eventual return to normal, police will hopefully soon be able to continue their jobs of saving lives across the country without the distractions of this year of upheaval.
The Roads of 2020
Even with all the chaos of a worldwide pandemic keeping so many at home, streets across the U.S., although emptier, were far from safer. Instead, fatalities per mile rose and crash deaths barely fell despite a 16% drop in traffic volume.
Despite less people driving and bars, restaurants and entertainment often closed, people kept dying on our roads. With roads wide open, many more people were speeding. Fewer were belted. And too many of them didn’t abide by the laws enacted to keep them safe.
The safer roads many expected from millions of people staying at home were instead more dangerous than ever.
A Safer 2021?
As the storm of 2020 subsides behind us, what can your city do to protect streets? Increased enforcement is never easy on a busy police force. But it can be particularly challenging with the added rigors of coping with a (hopefully soon receding) pandemic.
So what systems can you put into place to slow cars without increasing your need to enforce speed limits?
Interactive speed signs and speed trailers are a great way to cars down and have been shown time and again to be effective.
For residential streets, physical traffic calming devices like speed humps or cushions leave drivers no choice but to slow their speeds.
And for areas with repeat offenders, speed cameras can be the tool you need to warn speeders for their offenses.
All our signs and cameras are web enabled so you can see detailed traffic data right from your desk to help you make better decisions about where more enforcement is needed.
A safer 2021 is within reach. Slowing cars down and preventing crashes and fatalities can help.
