How to Reduce Officer Risk During Traffic Stops

Traffic Stops and Officer Risk: A Closer Look at the Numbers

For many officers, a traffic stop is the most routine call of a shift. Pull behind the vehicle, activate the lights, walk up to the window, issue the citation or warning, and move on. Repeated hundreds of times over a career, it can begin to feel unremarkable.

The data, however, tells a different story.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), traffic-related law enforcement fatalities increased 48% in 2024, with 46 deaths compared to 31 in 2023. Officers struck outside their patrol vehicle saw fatalities rise by 113% in that same year. 

FBI data further shows that in 2024, 39% of felonious officer killings occurred during unlawful or suspicious activity or during a traffic stop. 

A peer-reviewed study published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice analyzed 200 felonious law enforcement officer deaths during traffic stops from 1990 to 2020 using data from the Officer Down Memorial Page and FBI records. The study found that the majority of fatal incidents, 57% of cases, took place during the pre-contact phase, meaning officers were shot before they could employ any tactical or communication response. 

These numbers are not meant to suggest that traffic stops should be approached with paralyzing caution. They are meant to underscore that the stop deserves the same disciplined preparation as any other potentially high-risk encounter. There is a significant and growing body of research on what officers can do, both tactically and technologically, to reduce their exposure at every phase of a stop.

Tactical Positioning During Traffic Stops

Where an officer places their vehicle, and where they stand during the approach and interaction, is one of the most studied elements of officer survival during traffic stops. The decisions made in the first thirty seconds of a stop can determine whether an officer retains a tactical advantage throughout the encounter.

Stop Location Selection

Before any approach occurs, the officer has already made a critical decision: where the stop takes place. Selecting an area with sufficient lighting and a clear line of sight minimizes the risk of ambush and reduces the danger of being struck by passing vehicles. If a driver stops in an unsafe location, such as an intersection or active highway lane, using the patrol vehicle’s public address system to redirect the driver to a safer spot is a recognized best practice. 

Patrol Vehicle Positioning

An offset or angled patrol vehicle placement, in which the patrol car is positioned roughly a half-car-width into the traffic lane, creates a physical barrier between the officer and live traffic while providing additional cover during the approach. This positioning has been widely adopted and is documented in officer safety resources.

The B-Pillar Approach

During the approach, positioning at the B-pillar, the structural post between the front and rear doors of the vehicle, has become one of the most widely recommended officer safety tactics. From this position, an officer has a clear vantage point into the vehicle while making it substantially more difficult for the driver to engage with a weapon without making a visible and deliberate body turn. This position also encourages the driver to hand over documents outside the vehicle rather than requiring the officer to reach inside. 

Controlling the Hands

Research from the Force Science Institute identified hand control as the single most critical element in officer safety during a traffic stop. Officers who were able to gain visual and verbal control of the subject’s hands through calm and assertive communication before or during the approach had significantly better outcomes in simulated threat scenarios. 

Completing the Stop Safely

The risk does not end when the citation is issued. A final visual scan of the vehicle and its occupants before releasing them, and ensuring the driver and passengers have acknowledged the officer’s final instructions, is a recommended step that reinforces command authority and eliminates last-minute surprises as the vehicle pulls away. 

Communication and De-Escalation During Traffic Stops

Tactical positioning addresses the physical dimension of stop safety. Communication addresses the human one. How an officer speaks, listens, and manages the emotional temperature of an encounter can determine whether a tense situation de-escalates before it reaches a point of no return.

De-Escalation as a Safety Tool

The National Policing Institute defines de-escalation as “taking action or communicating verbally or non-verbally during a potential force encounter in an attempt to stabilize the situation and reduce the immediacy of the threat so that more time, options, and resources can be called upon to resolve the situation without the use of force.” When applied to traffic stops, this means slowing the pace of an interaction that is escalating, addressing the driver’s concerns directly, and using tone and language that conveys authority without antagonism.

According to the Verbal Judo Institute, research consistently shows that calm, respectful dialogue at the outset of a traffic stop reduces the likelihood of escalation. A stop where frustration turns into shouting can be redirected through active listening and clear explanation. Officers who maintain steady communication, even in adversarial conditions, are better equipped to prevent physical confrontation.

Communication Is Not the Absence of Authority

It is worth noting that effective communication during a traffic stop does not mean surrendering command presence. De-escalation is not a passive approach. It means maintaining control of the encounter through deliberate verbal and nonverbal signals, while preserving room for the situation to resolve without force. Officers who practice these skills regularly are better positioned to recognize when a driver is becoming a genuine threat and respond accordingly.

Technology That Protects Officers During Traffic Stops

Training and tactics form the foundation of stop safety. Technology, specifically body-worn cameras and in-car video systems, extends that foundation in ways that were not available to previous generations of officers. The evidence for their impact on officer safety and accountability is substantial.

Body-Worn Cameras: What the Research Shows

NPR reports that a research review conducted by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and the Council on Criminal Justice’s Task Force on Policing found that among departments studied, complaints against police dropped by 17% following body-worn camera deployment, and use of force by officers also decreased. The review concluded that the benefits of body-worn cameras, including estimated savings from reduced complaints and averted use-of-force incidents, outweigh the costs of the technology.

A panel analysis from the Milwaukee Police Department found that body-worn cameras reduced complaints overall, and that each additional month an officer wore a camera resulted in 6% fewer complaints filed against them. The study, published by the Urban Institute, also noted that the effects improved over time as departments matured in their use of the technology. 

In-Car Video: Accountability from the Moment the Lights Go On

In-car video systems provide a continuous, objective record of a traffic stop from the moment the officer activates the patrol vehicle’s emergency equipment. That record can be decisive. As early as 2007, the United States Supreme Court accepted dash camera video as evidence in Scott v. Harris (550 U.S. 372), a case in which a deputy was sued for the injuries of a fleeing driver. In-car footage overturned lower court rulings and cleared the deputy of wrongdoing. The principle established in that case, that video provides an objective third-party account of what transpired, remains foundational to the use of in-car video in law enforcement today. 

In-car video cameras increase accountability and transparency. According to Grant Fredericks, a certified forensic video analyst and instructor at the FBI National Academy, “public-safety agencies equip their vehicles with in-car cameras primarily for three reasons: to build public trust through transparency, to gather evidence, and to review footage to facilitate training.”

How Kustom Signals Supports Officer Safety During Traffic Stops

At Kustom Signals, we have spent more than 60 years developing technology for law enforcement agencies. Here is how our products address the specific safety challenges of traffic stops.

Argus Body Worn Camera

Argus Body Worn Camera was designed first and foremost around officer safety, reliability, and accountability. Its key features for traffic stop safety include:

• Automatic activation during high-risk events such as running or hard falls, so officers do not need to divert attention from a developing threat to start recording.
• 4G LTE live streaming and real-time alerts to command staff, enabling supervisors to see what is happening on scene, coordinate backup, and make faster, better-informed decisions during rapidly evolving situations.
• Four-microphone array with AI-powered noise cancellation, ensuring that audio from a traffic stop, including commands, responses, and ambient conditions, is captured with clarity sufficient for evidentiary use.
• Live-swappable battery with up to 12 hours of recording time, allowing uninterrupted documentation across extended shifts or multi-incident responses.
• IP67 and MIL-STD-810G ratings, confirming that the camera performs in rain, dust, and field conditions that would compromise lesser equipment.
• AI-powered Argus Data Vault integration for one-touch redaction, secure evidence storage, and streamlined sharing with prosecutors.

Argus In Car Video

Argus In Car Video provides comprehensive scene coverage from the moment a stop begins. Its key features for traffic stop safety include:

• HD dual forward camera and HD in-cabin camera, capturing simultaneous footage of the roadway in front of the patrol vehicle and the interior of the passenger compartment.
• Live streaming from multiple cameras simultaneously, giving command staff a complete picture of the stop environment in real time.
• GPS fleet tracking, so dispatch always knows the precise location of every unit on patrol, improving response time when backup is needed.
• Full integration with the Argus Body Worn Camera, combining body-worn and in-car footage into a unified, synchronized evidence record for every stop.

Argus Data Vault

Both camera systems connect to Argus Data Vault, our browser-based digital evidence management platform. Argus Data Vault provides secure storage, AI-powered one-touch redaction, and streamlined evidence sharing with prosecutors and other agencies, reducing the administrative burden on officers and ensuring that footage captured during a traffic stop is preserved, organized, and accessible when it matters most.

MPH Ranger EZ

Available from Kustom Signal and MPH Industries, the Ranger EZ features SafetyZone™, the officer safety alert mechanism. SafetyZone activates a warning to alert officers to potentially life-threatening high-speed vehicles approaching from behind their patrol vehicle when the officer is standing on or near the roadway. The system provides several seconds of warning, allowing the officer to assess the situation and move to a safer location if necessary.  

A Layered Approach to Traffic Stop Safety

The research is consistent on one point: no single practice eliminates risk at a traffic stop. The officers and agencies that fare best are those who combine disciplined positioning habits, practiced communication skills, and reliable recording technology into a layered approach that addresses risk at every phase of the encounter.

Every department, regardless of size, can make progress on all three fronts. Review your positioning protocols. Invest in de-escalation training that fits your community. And equip your officers with camera technology that records automatically, alerts command in real time, and protects everyone involved in the encounter.

If you would like to learn more about how Kustom Signals can support officer safety and accountability in your agency, we invite you to reach out to us. Our team works with law enforcement agencies of all sizes to find the right configuration for your department’s needs and budget.