Distracted driving in the United States is a serious and escalating problem throughout the United States and when we think of distracted driving today most of us visualize cell phone or texting on a smartphone. Right?
But little did we know that the very people that are commissioned with enforcing the distracted driving laws in our communities are some of the most egregious violators. It’s true, police officers are probably the most distracted drivers on our highways as they patrol our streets in an effort to keep our communities safe, but it is their Achilles heel.
The duties of a police officer are comprise of several different types of multitasking events that are constantly divert an officer’s attention away as they are constantly observing every direction, looking for everything from drunk drivers, speeders, peeping toms, fleeing bad guys, stolen cars, lost children, all points bulletins, hazards in roadways, illegal drug trafficking…etc. While multi-tasking inside the cab sometimes at a high rate of speed they have activating their lights and sirens, recording the location of a call for service or the description of a wanted person or vehicle. Even when they are white knuckling it in a hot pursuit of a fleeing car, they still have to transmit radio updates and their locations all while dodging intersections and road hazards along the way.
This doesn’t even include some of the usual distractions that we all have to deal with such as answering a phone call, eating, adjusting the temperature, picking up a dropped item, talking to a passenger eating, smoking or rubbernecking.
There are endless costly examples of preventable accidents involving police officers where they have been proven in several subsequent litigated civil cases, and later proven by body cams and dashcam videos requested through the open records requests. There are multiple examples where such activities have even resulted in fatalities and even reckless homicide charges against these distracted police officers.
These days, it is not the radio or even their cell phone that’s districting these police officers the most; it’s the mobile data terminal (MDT), which is their primary life line. It is a necessary tool that allows police officers to complete their job and keep our communities safer.
With the invent of this new technology police officers driving a police cruiser has become even more dangerous as they have to rely on these new tools of their trade. But what’s so funny is that in the state of Kentucky they are exempt from the very laws that ban the use of mobile devices behind the wheel, as long as they are using them for the job.
Officers are known to use their MDT even while driving; for instance when they need to run the license plate of a suspected stolen vehicle. The MDT provides access to critical information about suspects to see if they are wanted as a dangerous felon, or if a driver has an outstanding warrant. There are some officers that can sit in their automobile and never take their eyes off the roadway as they type on their MDT’s and never look at the screen.
Some police departments have issued new policies limiting the use of the MDT’s while driving. Many policy departments have tried to lesson the distracted driving by uniformly connecting lights, sirens, and other critical equipment in cruisers to steering wheel switches, so that officers operate such equipment with little distraction. New hands free technology has recently surfaced that allow officers use of voice-activated commands to activate their lights and sirens and even speak without holding a microphone.
The point that I am making isn’t that police officers are hypocritical and work unsafe with no regards to the safety of our community. They are our communities’ guardian angels, keeping all of us safe while constantly risking their lives daily for us.
The point is that risk is inherent in everything we do and in every job we preform; and sometimes we all end up assuming a certain degree of risk. The key is to recognize the hazards and to work really hard to avoid such unsafe hazards. As a professional risk and safety consultant I can totally reduce the distracted police officer exposure by 90% and can greatly reduce their insurance premiums tomorrow, by recommending that they place two officers in every car to eliminate this exposure. However that is a risk that county, city and state officials are willing to assume, as a result of those stupid stingy taxpayers. Again this acceptable risk and it still endangers the very people that are trying to keep you safe.
Both as a son and now as a father, I can safely say that I have been on both sides of this statement “Do As I Say & Not As I Do” and I can reveal that the later is much harder to accept. As professional risk management & safety consultant, I can also tell you that if you were to ask my wife or any of my close friends that it is always easier to give advice, than to live by example 100% of the time.
Its human nature to assume certain risks, despite the advise of consultants, police officer, parent, supervisor, coaches, colleague, or a trusted friend. Risk is inherent in our lives and we all accept a certain degree of risk as long as the reward appears to be greater than the consequence. Unfortunately despite the severity of the risk when negative consequences aren’t realized, we are more inclined to continue such unsafe endeavors. For instance we all took a very well know risk when we drove to work today, right? Well what if we were to become involved in a very painful and costly car accident once every other week? We’d all stop driving to work, right?
With that said, I would guess that just about 99.999% of everybody reading this article has chosen to be distracted while driving in their lifetime, and I would say that it would be a good bet that many of were even distracted at least once on your way to work today.
So before you start casting stones at these hypercritical police officers or even safety consultants for that matter, my saving redemption can be found in the Good Word from Jesus Christ himself. As this lesson can be referenced all the way back to Jesus Christ himself in the good book of Mathew 23:3, where he speaks of the Pharisees when he says “ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”
So instead the next time you see a police officer take a minute to thank them for their tireless and endless service to your community and your family. If you get pulled over for using your smart phone, thank them for the friendly reminder that comes with a fine, because it’s in your best interest and then say a little prayer for their safety.
Be Safety My Friends.
Keven Moore works in risk management services. He has a bachelor’s degree from University of Kentucky, a master’s from Eastern Kentucky University and 25-plus years of experience in the safety and insurance profession. He lives in Lexington with his family and works out of both the Lexington and Northern Kentucky offices. Keven can be reached at kmoore@roeding.com.