POLICE CIVIL LIABILITY - NEGLIGENT OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES

• NCJ Number: 54064
• Author(s): G KIRKHAM; J D WHITE
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 0 pages
• Corporate Author: Bay State Film Productions
• Sale Source: Harper and Row Media; Not Available Through National Institute of Justice/NCJRS Document Loan Program
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. 30 MINUTES, 16MM COLOR, 1978 RENTAL ALSO AVAILABLE CONTACT DISTRIBUTOR FOR SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Annotation

THIS TRAINING FILM ON POLICE CIVIL LIABILITY FOR NEGLIGENT OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES DISCUSSES RESPONSIBLE DRIVING IN BOTH EMERGENCY AND ROUTINE SITUATIONS.

Abstract

APPROXIMATELY 400-500 PEOPLE A YEAR ARE KILLED IN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING POLICE VEHICLES. LAWSUITS RESULTING FROM THESE ACCIDENTS ARE A GREAT EXPENSE TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS' AND TO THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS INVOLVED. MOST ACCIDENTS COULD BE PREVENTED IF POLICE OFFICERS FOLLOWED SAFETY RULES FOR VEHICLE MANINTENANCE AND OPERATION. IN NONEMERGENCY SITUATIONS, POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD ALWAYS OBEY TRAFFIC RULES, REFRAIN FROM USING EMERGENCY LIGHTS OR SIRENS, AND PARK IN SAFE, MARKED PARKING AREAS. IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, PARTICULARLY IF A FELLOW OFFICER IS IN TROUBLE, POLICE OFFICERS OFTEN PANIC AND ENDANGER THEMSELVES AND OTHER DRIVERS BY FAILING TO USE SIRENS AND OTHER WARNING EQUIPMENT, AND BY CARELESS DRIVING. THE OFFICERS MUST KNOW, OR REASONABLY BELIEVE, AN EMERGENCY SITUATION EXISTS BEFORE BYPASSING REGULAR TRAFFIC RULES. THEN THEY MUST GIVE ADEQUATE WARNING TO DRIVERS BY USING BOTH SIREN AND WARNING LIGHTS DURING THE WHOLE TIME THAT THEY ARE VIOLATING NORMAL RULES. OFFICERS SHOULD BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERESTIMATE THEIR DRIVING ABILITIES OR THE ABILITY OF THEIR WARNING EQUIPMENT TO BE PERCEIVED BY OTHER DRIVERS. EVEN IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD NEVER JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF OTHERS BY CARELESS OPERATION OF THE POLICE CAR. CASE STUDIES ARE USED TO ILLUSTRATE THESE POINTS. (DAG)