Traffic Safety Impacts of Reduced Police-Motorist Interactions

August 7th, 2026

In the wake of changes to the way many police departments enforce traffic laws, there are concerns about potential impacts to road safety. The primary objective of this study was to examine measurable effects of reduced police–motorist interactions on key traffic safety outcomes. Jurisdictions have increasingly adopted policies that limit traffic stop interactions between law enforcement and motorists, typically involving limiting or prohibiting pretextual stops or stops for minor, non-safety related violations that are used to investigate more serious crimes. A policy to deprioritize pretextual stops is typically associated with an increased focus on public safety, by prioritizing violations associated with dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, distracted driving, or impaired driving. Existing studies examining the impact of policy change on safety outcomes are limited in number, scope, and quality, but the data that are available suggest that policies reducing police–motorist interactions do not have a detrimental impact on public safety. However, most policy changes are fairly recent, and therefore the full impact of the changes may not be apparent yet. In addition, many jurisdictions have seen reduced police–motorist interactions due to a variety of factors—in the absence of a policy change.