| The United States Park Police Traffic Safety Unit coordinates the Force’s alcohol and speed enforcement programs, as well as handling all fatal motor vehicle collisions on the Force’s jurisdiction. The Traffic Safety Unit (TSU) maintains all of the Force’s Radars, and Laser’s, as well as Intoxilyzers, Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) equipment, and tint meters. TSU also instructs Force personnel, as well as other local, State, and Federal agencies in the use of RADAR, LASER, PBT’s, Intoxilyzer, Total Station, Accident Investigation, Forensic Scene Mapping, , and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. The Traffic Safety Unit is contacted when FATAL vehicle collisions occur on United States Park Police jurisdiction. They are also contacted if collisions occur with serious injuries to the driver or occupants, who are not expected to survive. Through the use of advanced training and technology, the Traffic Safety Unit can determine any or all of the contributing factors that are displayed at the accident scenes. |
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The
Smooth Operator Program is
a public safety initiative, which aims to provide education, information
and solutions for the problem of aggressive driving. For nearly ten
years, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., have partnered through
the Smooth Operator Program to combat aggressive driving. Law enforcement
agencies, trauma experts, government officials and other professionals
have worked together to educate motorists of the risks involved with
aggressive driving, and to stigmatize aggressive driving behavior
on our roads. |
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The major
complaint of motorists in the Washington area is when their normal commuter
route is closed. Roadways closed due to serious vehicle collisions often
cause severe traffic delays and frustration to motorists who are either
trapped on a roadway or forced to divert onto unfamiliar routes. To address
this issue, the United States Park Police are implementing new technology
called photogrammetry, which will enable us to open roadways as quickly
as
possible without
sacrificing the quality of the investigation. This technology will allow
us to document serious vehicle collisions in a more thorough and timely
manner. Photogrammetry is a software program that uses a calibrated digital
camera and numbered markers to create three-dimensional scale diagrams.
Prior to acquiring this new technology, the United States Park Police relied on the use of total stations, a good tool primarily utilized by surveyors, to document and reconstruct serious vehicle collisions. Both total station and photogrammetry are equally accurate in producing high-quality diagrams of a scene; however, photogrammetry offers a time-saving advantage that makes it a worthwhile investment to our Force and the public. |
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Whereas the total station requires more effort and time to setup and document a scene, the use of photogrammetry is simple to use, allowing most scenes to be documented quickly. This will allow roadways to reopen sooner for motorists forced to divert to other roadways or who wait while a roadway is closed for an investigation. The shortening of documentation time will also aid in the reduction of secondary collisions, which can cause further traffic issues. The use of photogrammetry will supplement other traditional methods of documenting serious incidents. |
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