Police officers rely on their lights and sirens to notify the public of their presence and reach active scenes safely and effectively. However, lights and sirens alone are no longer sufficient to ensure the safety of all roadway users. By implementing public safety technology like collision avoidance systems, police officers can extend the reach of their traditional analog alerting tools.

Drivers on the road are more distracted than ever. The temptation to scroll through texts and social media on phones is constant. Gear shifts and in-vehicle infotainment centers have become increasingly intricate and distracting. Cars have become soundproof as well, with some boasting sound-deadening underbody shields or installing active noise-cancellation solutions that make it difficult to hear emergency vehicles' sirens. Additionally, the New York Times states that "drivers sometimes respond in unpredictable ways, such as stopping right in front of an emergency vehicle instead of pulling out of the way."

This level of distracted driving and unpredictability on the road puts law enforcement officers at constant risk when responding to emergencies. As we reported in the Cost of Collisions, an average of 12,200 roadway responses occur every day in the United States. First responders like police officers must navigate congested highways and dangerous roads to respond to traffic accidents, 911 calls, active crime scenes, and all other emergencies.

Because of this, emergency personnel are under the threat of everyday drivers hitting, clipping, or colliding with them as they drive by. From 2006 to 2016, an average of more than one police officer per week was killed on American roads, either from a vehicle crash or from being directly struck by another vehicle.

Not only do those collisions lead to police officer injury or death, but they can also result in costly vehicle repairs. The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) calculates that the average cost of a fatal collision involving a regular citizen is $11.2 million. This breakdown includes the average cost of emergency services, medical services, lost wages and fringe benefits, household productivity loss, insurance processing, workplace costs, legal costs, and congestion impacts. 

Lights and sirens are invaluable tools for keeping police officers and members of the community safe on the road. But as technology has progressed over the years, they're not as effective on their own as they used to be. Public safety technology is the answer to extending the reach of lights and sirens and making sure that all roadway users get home safely every day. 

Public safety technology improves department operational efficiency 

As the world becomes more technologically advanced, police departments need to keep up. Emergency personnel need immediate information at their fingertips to better serve and protect. While traditional law enforcement tactics will always be necessary, integrating modern technology into existing processes will help to increase security and protection for the officers and the community. Police departments can expect the following benefits when they adopt public safety technology:

• Improved officer safety and situational awareness: New technology can provide police officers with real-time data and situational awareness so they can stay informed in potentially dangerous situations and make informed decisions quickly.
• Enhanced evidence collection and documentation: As Secure Redact says, accurate and reliable evidence collection is crucial in the justice process. Technology can manage and redact video footage efficiently and securely while protecting the privacy of those captured in video data.
• Streamlined administrative processes: Administrative processes are a cumbersome, yet crucial, element of law enforcement. Automated systems can help departments improve operational efficiency by streamlining processes like reporting, records management, and case tracking.
• Quicker communication and collaboration: Effective communication between officers is a vital part of law enforcement. Cutting-edge integrated communication systems and cloud-based operations centers improve communication by enabling police officers to share important information with each other in real time. 
• Thorough officer training: New public safety technology can provide more realistic and immersive training opportunities to help officers develop the skills needed in high-pressure situations without real-world risks.
• Stronger community outreach: Departments can better engage with the community with new public safety technology, allowing them to gather feedback and foster a transparent dialogue. 

It's understandably intimidating to adopt brand new technology and integrate it into tried-and-true processes. However, overcoming that hesitation will allow you to harness the power of technology to create safer communities that better serve all citizens. Here are some examples of cutting-edge public safety technology that police departments can implement to better protect officers and members of the community:

• Digital forensic software: These tools aid in recovering and preserving digital evidence.
• Drones: A drone can be used to conduct surveillance of a specific area before any officers arrive to assess the risk.
• Automatic license plate readers: These systems can automatically capture an image of a vehicle and its license plate, run it through state and national databases, and then determine if there are any wants associated with that license plate. 
• Records management systems: A records management system allows you to reduce or completely eliminate traditional paper filing. This software transfers information electronically to a secure database so any authorized user can access it. 
• Thermal imaging: These solutions use infrared imaging technology to detect heat from objects, people, or animals. That data is converted into a heat map that officers can leverage in search and rescue missions.
• Mobile fingerprinting: This software enables officers to perform fingerprinting duties on the go, as opposed to the prolonged process of doing it at the station. 
• Gunshot detection tools: These systems use sensors to detect, confirm, and notify police departments of gunshots in the area. As OpenFox says, this enables officers to respond faster to gunshots and increases their odds of tracking down the suspect.
• Collision avoidance systems: This technology helps police officers reduce struck-by collisions and near misses on the road. 
• Social media: Social media isn’t necessarily a new technology, but using it to gather tips may be a new use case for you. If your department isn’t online already, make accounts on popular social media networks like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Your officers can leverage these platforms to gather tips for solving a crime and engage with the community. 

What is a collision avoidance system?

A collision avoidance system is a safety tool that prevents accidents by assisting drivers in the moments before an incident. These tools warn, alert, or assist drivers to nearby or upcoming roadway hazards. Collision avoidance systems use technology such as sensors, radar, lasers, cameras, GPS, and artificial intelligence to provide these warnings. Drivers receive these alerts through a variety of different channels. The most common method is to alert a driver to the hazard through a light, sound, vibration, or all of the above.

This powerful public safety technology use case empowers first responders like police officers and the motoring public to react quicker to changes on the road. Nathanial Wish, co-founder and CEO of Responder Corp told StateTech Magazine that collision avoidance system displays "will focus officers’ attention on the road while still allowing them to get pertinent updates for a call." Wish went on to say that it's another solution for another prime reason for vehicle-related officer crashes — drivers who don’t give way to emergency vehicles or officers making stops on the side of the road.

“People can’t even hear our sirens, or they just stop or freak out or don’t know what to do,” Wish said. “If they got an alert with a big arrow that says an emergency vehicle is approaching and move to the arrow, it would make a world of difference.”

As IntelliShift states, research shows that collision avoidance systems work. 

They said: "A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that automatic emergency braking and forward collision warnings could prevent more than 40% of crashes in which semi-trucks rear-end other vehicles. And another study revealed that when rear crashes happen, the system reduces the damage and injuries." 

It's a new and emerging technology, but Safety Cloud® by HAAS Alert has proven itself to be the leader in the field. Safety Cloud is a digital alerting service, which is a form of a collision avoidance system. It sends drivers digital alerts up to 30 seconds before coming into contact with a hazard in the road. These messages notify drivers of an upcoming roadway hazard and prompt them to slow down, and move over. 

Safety Cloud® alerts when you’re actively responding

A digital alert system like Safety Cloud is an electronic notification sent directly to a driver. HAAS Alert uses this technology, which is a form of vehicle-to-everything communication, to enable emergency and road maintenance vehicles to broadcast life-saving digital alerts that protect all roadway users. 

These alerts inform drivers that there is a nearby or upcoming roadway hazard and they need to slow down and move over. This technology has been proven to reduce the risk of collision by 90 percent, compared to traditional lights alone. Emergency vehicle alert systems like Safety Cloud aid drivers earlier in making safer, smarter driving decisions, making it a key component of police officer safety on the road. 

Once Safety Cloud service is activated, police vehicles automatically begin to broadcast alerts as soon as a light bar is activated. The motoring public receives alerts through compatible in-vehicle infotainment centers and leading navigation apps when an officer is nearby and actively responding. 

Drivers will not see an officer's location beyond that. Simply put, drivers only receive Safety Cloud alerts in the situations when a law enforcement officer needs to be seen — when there's an emergency and that officer needs the roads cleared for them. 

Digital alerting technology was created to enhance the reach of Move Over laws. This legislation requires drivers to slow down and move over to allow safe clearance to emergency personnel like police officers when they’re en-route to an emergency or responding on the side of the road.

Safety Cloud digital alerts reach drivers through ways they cannot miss. A visual alert, accompanied by an audio warning, shows up on compatible vehicle infotainment systems and leading navigation applications. This effectively gets drivers’ attention earlier so they have time to slow down and move over.

Once an officer switches off their lights and siren, their vehicle will immediately stop sending out alerts. Drivers  have no insight into police vehicles' locations at that point. Safety Cloud is not a GPS tracking service, but an advanced warning system to provide roadway clearance for law enforcement officers.

Benefits of digital alerting

Digital alerts go beyond emergency vehicle preemption (EVP). EVP gives emergency response vehicles a green light on their approach to an intersection while providing a red light to conflicting approaches. On the contrary, digital alerting has nothing to do with traffic lights. When an emergency vehicle broadcasts a digital alert, it simply notifies nearby drivers to temporarily slow down and move over, instead of stopping for a red light. Digital alerting gives the motoring public plenty of notice to clear the way for approaching first responders.

Digital alerting also improves coordination with other agencies responding to the same emergency. Safety Cloud not only offers a solution to alert the motoring public, but it also has Responder-to-Responder alerting, which is a service that lets first responders know when other Safety Cloud®-equipped emergency vehicles are actively responding and are approaching the same intersection as your vehicle. 

An emergency vehicle equipped with a solution like Safety Cloud can also protect non-equipped vehicles on-scene at an emergency. Deputy Fire Chief Larry Fox of Mount Laurel Fire Department implemented Safety Cloud to better protect his crew on the road. But he realized the benefit it would have on his fellow first responders too.

When Larry’s crew is responding to a crash, police officers and EMS workers will likely be there too. He realized that this technology would help prevent struck-by collisions and near misses for all first responders on the scene. 

“Mount Laurel EMS and Police don’t have these systems in their vehicles,” Deputy Chief Fox explained. “But anytime we’re responding to a crash, there’s going to be a police officer there — sometimes an ambulance, too. They’ll benefit from the early warning as much as us.”

Collision avoidance sytems protect police officers on the road

With police departments across the country experiencing police officer shortages and technological advancements permeating nearly every aspect of society,  adopting public safety technology has become a necessity. These new tools on the market can expedite administrative processes for departments, improve situational awareness, enhance community safety, and more.

The right public safety tool can make the difference between life and death. A collision avoidance tool like Safety Cloud digital alerting can be that change for your department. It is an easy and cost-effective way to enhance the power of your light bars and protect your officers on the road. 

The Safety Cloud for Law Enforcement guide covers everything you need to know about the digital alerting service. You can learn about the features, use cases, benefits, and more. Download your copy today.

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