One of the top priorities for most state police or highway patrol colonels in the United States is to lower the traffic fatality rate in their states. However, tight budgets and limited personnel resources make it increasingly difficult to accomplish that task. The challenge is to figure out ways to improve public safety and drive down the fatality rate without significantly increasing the budget. The phrases “work smarter” and “do more with less” may sound familiar and represent the position highway patrols find themselves in.

For several years, the traffic fatality rate decreased steadily with improvements in safety technology, increased seat belt use, and the success of enforcement programs. That pattern continued until 2015 when the United States experienced an approximate 8 percent increase in traffic fatalities. It remains to be seen if 2015 is an anomaly or the beginning of a dangerous trend in traffic safety, but low gas prices and an improved economy will lead to record travel mileage numbers and a continued difficulty to control the carnage on highways. Adding to the challenge is the exploding problem of distracted driving; everyone seems to feel the need to stay constantly “connected” instead of concentrating on driving their vehicles safely.