Get Informed: Dangers Officers Face on our Roadways

There are approximately 900,000 local, state and federal sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. Many of these officers spend a large part of their time patrolling our roads and highways, trying to make sure the rest of us can travel in safety.

Throughout history, more than 5,000 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty in traffic-related incidents, including automobile, motorcycle and bicycle accidents, as well as instances in which officers were struck and killed by another vehicle while they were outside their police vehicles.

In recent years, the number of officers killed in traffic incidents has risen sharply — from an average of 57 deaths a year during the 1970s to an average of 73 a year in the current decade.

In 2007, 83 officers nationwide died in traffic-related incidents - that represents a record high total.

Beginning in 1998 and continuing for each year since, more law enforcement officers have been killed each year in traffic incidents than from gunshot wounds or any other single cause of death. That is a dramatic reversal of historical trends.

Officer deaths caused by drunk drivers have increased more than 80 percent over the last three decades. And over the past 10 years, more than 150 officers have died while they were outside their police vehicles and were fatally struck by other drivers.

The bottom line: our peace officers face a growing number of dangers on our roadways, and we owe them our full support in working to protect them.