Title 32

SECTION 634.26

634.26 Traffic law enforcement principles.

§ 634.26 Traffic law enforcement principles.

(a) Traffic law enforcement should motivate drivers to operate vehicles safely within traffic laws and regulations and maintain an effective and efficient flow of traffic. Effective enforcement should emphasize voluntary compliance by drivers and can be achieved by the following actions:

(1) Publishing a realistic traffic code well known by all personnel.

(2) Adopting standard signs, markings, and signals in accordance with NHSPS and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.

(3) Ensuring enforcement personnel establish courteous, personal contact with drivers and act promptly when driving behavior is improper or a defective vehicle is observed in operation.

(4) Maintaining an aggressive program to detect and apprehend persons who drive while privileges are suspended or revoked.

(5) Using sound discretion and judgment in deciding when to apprehend, issue citations, or warn the offender.

(b) Selective enforcement will be used when practical. Selective enforcement deters traffic violations and reduces accidents by the presence or suggested presence of law enforcement personnel at places where violations, congestion, or accidents frequently occur. Selective enforcement applies proper enforcement measures to traffic congestion and focuses on selected time periods, conditions, and violations that cause accidents. Law enforcement personnel use selective enforcement because that practice is the most effective use of resources.

(1) Detecting, apprehending, and testing persons suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

(2) Training law enforcement personnel in special enforcement techniques.

(3) Enforcing blood-alcohol concentration standards. (See § 634.34).

(4) Denying installation driving privileges to persons whose use of alcohol or other drugs prevents safe operation of a motor vehicle.

(d) Installation officials will formally evaluate traffic enforcement on a regular basis. That evaluation will examine procedures to determine if the following elements of the program are effective in reducing traffic accidents and deaths:

(1) Selective enforcement measures;

(2) Suspension and revocation actions; and

(3) Chemical breath-testing programs.