CONNECTICUT
CHIEFS ASSOCI
AT
ION CONN
ECT
ICUT POLICE 2008
Connecticut Law
Enforcement
Challenge
ASSOCIATI
ONCO
NN
ECTICUT
Based on the number of vehicle miles traveled, the rate of motor
vehicle fatalities in the United States has been declining over the
past decade. In fact, in 2007, the overall number of traffic fatalities
fell to 41,059, the lowest number since 1994, and the fatality rate
per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.37, the lowest fatality
rate on record. Additionally, 1,649 fewer people died in crashes in
2007 as compared to 2006. This reduction in fatalities is the larg-
est in terms of both number and percentage since 1992. Injuries
in highway crashes last year totaled 2.49 million, the lowest seen
since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began
collecting injury data in 1988. Motorcycle safety, however, con-
tinues to be a problem. Motorcycle fatalities now account for 13
percent of all fatalities and, in 2007 alone, the number of motor-
cycle riders or passengers killed on the nation’s roads increased
6.6 percent over the previous year. Seat belt use in 2008 stood at
83 percent, a slight gain from 82 percent use in 2007, and seat belt
use for occupants on expressways increased to 90 percent.
While today’s traffic fatality rate is a dramatic reduction over the
1975 rate of 3.35 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the
goal of the U.S. DOT and NHTSA is to lower the rate to 1.0 fatali-
ties per 100 million miles traveled by 2011. To that end, NHTSA has
joined forces with the International Association of Chiefs of Police
(IACP), the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) and law enforce-
ment officers nationwide, to support traffic law enforcement.
The Connecticut Law Enforcement Challenge is an innovative
program that provides an avenue to stimulate traffic law enforce-
ment in any police or sheriff agency. The program targets three
major traffic safety priorities: occupant
protection impaired driving, and speed-
ing. The Cli