Nearly one-third of officer line-of-duty deaths over the last 10 years were due to motor vehicle-related incidents, according to the CDC. It’s a staggering, sobering statistic. 

Officers face immense stress from the urgency of responding to calls, navigating traffic, and watching out for distracted drivers.

New technology aims to help officers stay safe both when they’re behind the wheel and when they’re working crashes and other roadway incidents. 

Chris Watkins, field solutions engineer manager at Whelen Engineering highlighted emerging cloud-based technologies geared toward making officers’ jobs safer at the 2024 Police Fleet Conference.

Geofencing Technology for Incident Response

Picture this – you’re an officer approaching a busy intersection. Not only do you have to navigate how to get around stopped vehicles, but you also need to use your rumbler to alert vehicles that you’re driving into the intersection. This can be tricky when you’re trying to keep your eyes on the road.

Geofencing technology can change that. Geofencing establishes a virtual boundary around a specific area. 

When paired with police equipment, geofencing can allow vehicle systems to perform tasks such as changing the siren type and lighting pattern when approaching an intersection to something more aggressive to capture other motorists’ attention.

The automation removes the need for officers to take their eyes off the road to activate these controls.

“Getting through an intersection is one of the more dangerous places they can respond…geofencing technology ensures the lighting system supports their safety without distraction,” Watkins said.

Geofencing can also be used to change the lighting pattern to something dimmer at an incident scene. 

This prevents drivers from being blinded by aggressive flashing lights, which would increase their chances of hitting the officers’ vehicles, Watkins explained. 

Using Digital Alerting to Warn Other Drivers of Oncoming Emergency Vehicles

Over the last several years, technology that alerts drivers to police cars parked either for speed enforcement or conducting incident response has gained popularity. This is called digital alerting. 

Advancements to this technology can take the alerts even further by notifying drivers of oncoming emergency vehicles, not just those that are parked. This is something vehicle manufacturers are working to add to infotainment systems, so third-party apps won’t be required to use this kind of technology someday, Watkins explained.

When a distracted driver receives a visual or auditory alert, they are forced to refocus on their surroundings, encouraging them to check their mirrors and look for approaching emergency vehicles.

This technology isn’t just beneficial for regular drivers, though. It can also serve as a way to alert law enforcement officers if they are on a potential collision path with another emergency vehicle.

Clearing Intersections with Traffic Preemption

Traffic preemption technology allows emergency vehicles to communicate with oncoming traffic signals.

When first responders are en route to crashes or other incidents, navigating intersections is one of the most dangerous parts of their trip. This technology allows them both faster and safer passage through intersections.

Traffic preemption is nothing new, but the technology making it happen has been modernized. Older systems relied on infrared signals with limited range and line-of-sight constraints, while new systems use cloud technology for greater reliability.

Using this technology, the preemption begins miles in advance, accounting for the emergency vehicle’s speed, traffic density in the area, and crosswalk activity.

This technology is particularly beneficial for high-speed law enforcement vehicles, which require intersections to be cleared well in advance.

"Now we can draw that geofence out miles away so that law enforcement vehicle that’s traveling at a much higher speed can still request that green light,” Watkins said.

Cloud-based traffic preemption can reduce response time by 25% and increase safety by 75%, Watkins said.

"Navigating traffic and distracted drivers...every second counts, and that's really what is going through their head,” Watkins said.

Beyond enhancing safety, these technologies help agencies manage liability and demonstrate a commitment to protecting both officers and the public.

Are you implementing any of this technology with your fleet? We want to hear about it! Let us know below.