FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 25, 2025

Media Contacts:

Vera Institute of Justice: media@vera.org

Center for Policing Equity: comms@policingequity.org

New York, NY - Each year, police in the United States conduct more than 20 million traffic stops, making them the most common interaction between civilians and law enforcement. A significant portion of these stops are for minor infractions that have little to no impact on traffic safety such as a dangling air freshener, broken taillight, or expired registration. These stops divert police resources away from addressing dangerous driving, undermine community trust, and disproportionately target Black drivers and drivers with low income.

In response, a group of organizations has committed to building on the growing momentum nationwide for modernizing roadway safety by refocusing traffic enforcement. This new coalition, Traffic Safety For All (TS4A), will coordinate and educate stakeholders on the importance of limiting low-level traffic stops and allowing law enforcement to focus on addressing offenses that are central to causing crashes and traffic fatalities. To that end, the Vera Institute of Justice created an interactive bill tracker that provides real-time information about bills under consideration.

This coalition aims to help enact reforms that are broadly popular across the country. A February 2025 poll commissioned by Vera Action shows that traffic enforcement reforms continue to be popular among voters, with 65 percent across party lines agreeing that traffic stops for minor violations divert police resources from serious offenses.

Studies show that refocusing traffic enforcement on dangerous driving behaviors, such as speeding and impaired driving, reduces crashes without increasing crime rates. Despite the perception that traffic stops lead to major arrests, the reality is that only approximately 0.3 percent of all traffic stops yield an arrest for contraband.

Furthermore, studies show that there are persistent racial disparities in non-safety stops. Black drivers are more likely to be stopped and searched than white drivers, despite being no more likely—and often less likely—to possess contraband. Black drivers are also treated more harshly during stops.

The coalition was convened by a steering committee led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Center for Policing Equity, Policing Project at NYU School of Law, and Vera Institute of Justice. Other members include Vision Zero Network, Center for American Progress, Local Progress, Fair and Just Prosecution, and TurnSignl.

"The unchecked discretion police have to make traffic stops is a fundamental threat to civil liberties and constitutional rights,” said Emily Reina Dindial, senior policy counsel at the ACLU’s Justice Division. “The tragic deaths of Tyre Nichols, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, and Walter Scott are stark reminders of how quickly these stops can turn deadly—particularly for Black drivers. But ensuring our roads are safe doesn't require subjecting millions of people to unnecessary and potentially dangerous police interactions. Our coalition is united behind evidence-based approaches that reduce enforcement of non-safety violations and shift resources to minimizing driving behaviors known to cause crashes, like speeding and drunk driving. By reimagining traffic enforcement, we can create a system that protects both constitutional rights and public safety, making our streets safer for everyone."

“The country is grappling with two critical issues: traffic crashes and racial disparities in traffic enforcement,” said Charlotte Resing, Government Affairs Manager at the Center for Policing Equity. “Non-traffic-related stops are consistently discriminatory, with Black drivers 95 percent more likely to be stopped than their white counterparts. Communities should not have to compromise between road safety and equitable stop policies. It is entirely possible to achieve a future where everyone is protected and treated fairly. This coalition aims to assist policymakers at all levels in addressing racial disparities while simultaneously improving safety—a goal that benefits us all.”

“We're thrilled to support the dozens of communities and states that are taking steps to align their traffic enforcement practices with actual road safety measures," said Scarlet Neath, Senior Advisor for Reimagining and Reform at the Policing Project at NYU School of Law. "For too long, we've relied on an outdated model of traffic enforcement that prioritizes volume over efficacy. Smart policy should instead be based on the increasing body of evidence showing that limiting non-safety stops is an effective way to curb persistent racial disparities in enforcement, free up limited police resources, and reduce unacceptable crash rates. The Traffic Safety for All coalition will provide a valuable platform for members doing this critical work to share resources and lessons learned from across the country.”

“This new coalition reflects a growing effort to end police stops for traffic infractions that do not pose an immediate safety concern, like expired tags, a broken taillight, or an air freshener hanging from a rearview mirror,” said Daniela Gilbert, director of the Redefining Public Safety initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice. “Report after report finds significant, harmful racial disparities in traffic stops in cities and states around the country—along with high traffic fatalities nationwide. It's just common sense to modernize traffic enforcement policies to reflect what the evidence has been pointing to all along.”