Safety Tips Driving safety Injury prevention Lone workers

Don’t get struck

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Although most states enforce some type of “move over” law, which requires drivers to move over one lane or reduce speed when passing law enforcement on the side of the road, struck-by incidents are still happening.

More than 200 law enforcement officers were struck and killed between 2005 and 2019, according to NIOSH.

Officers can help lower their risk of being struck when responding to a road situation. Follow these tips from NIOSH:
Maintain situational awareness. “Keep your head on a swivel,” don’t turn your back to moving traffic and don’t walk in the gap between vehicles. Also, “always have an escape plan.”
Wear protective clothing. When exiting a patrol vehicle, put on an ANSI-approved high-visibility safety vest. This helps drivers see you.
Follow standard operating procedures. Your agency should have SOPs on temporary traffic control zones.
Understand the incident command structure. “Work collaboratively with other responders.”

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James E Shaw
November 29, 2021
From my past experiences as Peace officer in the State of Texas, it seems like more accidents of that nature occurred in the dusk hours of night time hours. It seems like the strobes just hypnotizes people and they drive right into the lights. I always made it a habit to the suspected violator or contact to the side of the road beside squad car. People just need to be more aware of their driving habits, leave enough room to traffic in front of you, keep your eyes moving at all times, allow enough time to get to your destination and stay off the cell phones while driving. thank you, James Shaw