Traffic Enforcement

The primary role and objective of a traffic enforcement system should be the reduction of fatal and serious injury road crashes, while the secondary considerations would be to ensure the free flow of traffic; (Neades & Ward – 1999). In developed countries the enforcement agencies are supported by the civic/road authorities in order to efficiently perform their secondary role of traffic engineering which forms the basis of efficiency and safety of the movement of traffic. In developing countries like India, the role of traffic engineering is generally not provided by the road authorities, and therefore by default the traffic police are made responsible for traffic engineering without having the background and education on the subject. The traffic police unfortunately have to play the primary role for traffic engineering, and enforcement for road safety as the secondary one.

Other Training Courses Include:

• Traffic Management
• Network Operation and Management
• Traffic Enforcement in different and difficult terrains
• Recognising, Understanding, Management and Enforcement of Road Traffic Violations
• Road Safety Audit
• Traffic Engineering

• Enforcement of Speeds and Dangerous Driving
• Data Management and Recording
• Intelligent Transport Systems
• Management of Traffic Signals and Road Traffic Control Equipment’s
• Road Crash Investigation, Reconstruction and Analysis
• Forensic Science in Crash Investigation

Since police have to play a major role in management of traffic, there is a need to include this subject in their training curriculum at police training schools and academics. Most training schools and academies give very little importance to this subject which is the need of the hour. Another area which is dealt by the police which is severely neglected is the investigation and analysis of road crashes. When road crashes are not scientifically investigated, reconstructed and analysed, factual causes and consequences do not come to the surface and consequently remedial measures become arbitrary.

Based upon 20 years of enforcement research the Institute of Road Traffic Education is supporting Traffic Police Organisations, Police Training Schools and Academies, Military Police of the Army and Air Force as well as other organizations dealing with Traffic Enforcement and Traffic Management towards building their capacity in road traffic enforcement, crash investigation, traffic management  and post-crash management.

At the School of Traffic Enforcement at IRTE’s College of Traffic Management regular courses are being conducted for Police Officers from across the country on Scientific Road Accident Investigation and analysis. These courses are sponsored by the Bureau of Research & Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Government of India. Courses on Traffic Enforcement, Traffic Management are also offered at the College.

The IRTE also supports police organizations in setting up their Organization Development Centres as well as in other areas of capacity building.

The School of Traffic Enforcement has been equipped with a Forensic Engineering Laboratory as well as a Traffic Management Centre where officers and engineers are trained to increase the throughput of traffic and improve safety of the road network by optimising traffic flow within the available road infrastructure. The School of Traffic Enforcement works in close coordination with the School of Public Health for Road Safety. The School is also interconnected with the Centre for Analysis and Research in Road Safety (CARRS), where research is on-going process in the areas of Road Safety Audits, Journey Risk Management, Highway Assessment Program and Traffic Engineering.

IRTE’s innovative research products in the area of Enforcement and Crash Investigation include the Interceptors ^TM
and CrashLab ^TM

Interceptor TM  
Initiated in 1995, IRTE developed the state of the art traffic enforcement technology vehicle called “Interceptor”. This technology was recognized by the Government of India at the National Republic Day Parade in 1996 and again in 2001. Designed for practical use by police in capturing video based moving violations including speeds of vehicles, the Interceptor is a comprehensive enforcement and education system. The system comprises of suitably customised vehicle platform, enforcement equipment and software, hardware, complimented with data analysis centre.

The Interceptor has been visualized and developed keeping multiple objectives in mind, namely:
a) Evidence Based Traffic Law Enforcement
b) Enforcement on a Mobile Platform
c) Traffic Education
d) Primary First Aid and Rescue
e) Road and Infrastructure Surveys
f) Deterrent
g) Road Safety Audit

CrashLab TM
IRTE took the initiative to set up the Mobile Accident Investigation & Road Safety Reconnaissance Laboratory, with a vision to revolutionize scientific collision investigation in the country and to support the police and other investigating authorities in determining factual causes and consequences of such collisions.
CrashLab is a technological innovation of the IRTE in-house research wing. CrashLab features high resolution digital video and still camera which can be elevated to a height of over 12ft. to take critical shots of the collision form a strategically high view angle. High intensity spot lamps in synchronism with the camera enables quality images/video recordings even during dusk/night operation. CrashLab also features Laser based device for speed measurement and digital motion video and still recording. CrashLab is also designed to use the latest Global Positioning System (GPS), for ascertaining the true location of the collision scene and creating digital maps of road stretches. CrashLab is equipped with the latest tools and gadgets for collecting evidences and measurements from the accident scene.