Determining the Effectiveness of Flexible Checkpoints [Traffic Tech]

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Traffic Tech : Determining the Effectiveness of Flexible Checkpoints
• Corporate Creators:
  United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Awareness Drunk Driving Illinois State Police Measures Of Effectiveness Prevention Roadside Safety Checks Sobriety Checkpoints Traffic Accidents Traffic Law Enforcement Traffic Patrol
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT HS 812 421
• Series:
  NHTSA BSR Traffic Tech
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.21949/1525933
• Resource Type:
  Brief
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Illinois
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Abstract:
  Checkpoint operations are highly visible and are often used for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) countermeasure enforcement efforts. However, checkpoints can be resource-intensive, so it is often difficult to generate as much use of that tactic as is desired. There are alternative enforcement methods and tactics to increase the scope of traditional checkpoints. Flexible checkpoints, sometimes referred to as "phantom," "mobile awareness," "public awareness," or "mock" checkpoints, are a lower cost, low-staffing checkpoint method to augment traditional checkpoints. This checkpoint strategy involves staging-but not fully staffing-the checkpoint. Instead, the appearance of setting up a checkpoint is created with, for example, a small number of officers setting out signs, and parking one or more patrol vehicles with flashing lights and a mobile breath testing facility or other DWI enforcement vehicle on the side of the road. The "checkpoint" can then be moved to other locations during the evening. No drivers are stopped and no arrests are made, unless some provocation occurs by drivers passing by the flexible checkpoint. However, a main objective of a checkpoint-awareness-is accomplished by the number of drivers observing and, in theory, telling others about the law enforcement activity. Flexible checkpoints, however, should not be used in isolation. Instead, they should be used to supplement other DWI enforcement countermeasure activity employed in the jurisdiction, either concurrently, or within a short period of time of those other activities. The main objectives for this project were to: - Determine the extent that flexible checkpoints are being used in the United States; - Identify four agencies that use flexible checkpoints, document problems or concerns that have arisen in those agencies, and to determine and document any solutions developed that could be used by other interested agencies that may want to implement flexible checkpoints; and - Conduct a study to determine the effectiveness of flexible checkpoints in one site.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:708b5843292bedee45869536044300a147d5b9bf25fd59793f6688e34309db04
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/34994/dot_34994_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 505.89 KB ]