Dear Supporters, Our campaign is focused on ending pretext stops in New York state but, as we’ve covered as recently as our June newsletter, this is a national movement. One player, Vision Zero Network, a national network of organizations focused on a campaign seeking to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, celebrated its tenth anniversary this month. In recognition of its ten years of work to enhance traffic safety, it shared its “Top 10 Takeaways from Our New Right-Sizing Traffic Enforcement Report.” Read the full report. The top ten takeaways from Vision Zero’s report are not likely to surprise you – they have been subjects we have been addressing here since 2023. They are: 10. Not all Traffic Stops Are Created Equal Vision Zero’s position (and ours) is that the majority of traffic deaths are caused by traffic violations that involve dangerous driving – speeding, impaired driving, and reckless or dangerous driving. (The types of stops S9840/A6631 would bar are not safety stops; as we’ve covered, research shows that eliminating non-safety stops helps law enforcement focus on the efforts that actually improve public safety.) 9. The Harm of Non-Safety Stops is Real Vision Zero notes the failure of pretext stops to make communities safer, and the enhanced likelihood of violence against officers and use of force against civilians during non-safety stops. 8. Re-Thinking Traffic Enforcement: From Stops to Eyes & Ears A different approach to law enforcement involvement in traffic safety would seek greater road safety through analysis of fatalities and observation of circumstances that contribute to dangerous road conditions. 7. Fix-it Tickets Offer an Alternative to Equipment Violations One solution being used in various jurisdictions is “fix-it tickets.” This system provides for vouchers for people to fix the equipment violations. Vision Zero notes, The “Lights On!” program, launched in 2017 after the fatal shooting of Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Minnesota, is a compelling model. Nearly 14,000 vouchers have been redeemed through partnerships with more than 150 police departments and 430 auto shops across 23 states. One in five recipients said they would not have made the repair without the voucher. While this program avoids the traffic tickets, it still appears to require stops, which have many of the problems we have discussed in our newsletters. “’Lights On!’ states, ‘Lights On!’ turns the potential confrontation of the traffic stop into an opportunity to connect one-on-one in a productive, restorative experience.” 6. Inequities in Traffic Stops Extend Beyond the Driver’s Seat As we have also covered, the report noted that traffic stops also include pedestrian and cyclist stops. The report further noted that in Washington State nearly half of those ticketed for helmet violations were unhoused, and observed that these stops can “amplify existing vulnerabilities rather than improve safety." 5. Data Collection and Transparency Are Essential The SAFTE Act requires data collection and transparency. As Vision Zero notes, “You can’t right-size what you don’t measure.” 4. Enforcement Is a Tool, Not a Strategy This section explains the limitations of relying on law enforcement in eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries, and recommending infrastructure investments and policy changes that address the causes of traffic injuries and fatalities and lead to long-lasting results. 3. Infrastructure Investments Build Lasting Safety Results Vision Zero seeks to switch the remedy for traffic injuries and fatalities from traffic enforcement, which is less effective and only temporary, to “traffic-calming projects. A summary of the types of measures a community can take to make roads safer can be found in Vision Zero’s three page brief on “Right-Sizing the Role of Traffic Enforcement.” 2. An Over-Reliance on Enforcement Causes Disproportionate Harm Vision Zero notes the myriad ways that traffic enforcement causes harm, and how it disproportionately impacts Black and brown people. 1. Communities Have a Range of Policy Options. While we believe that legislative reform is necessary, and long past due, Vision Zero recognizes that there are meaningful steps that can be taken now. If you are making change in your community, please reach out to us and let us know what you are working on. Vision Zero’s website also links to a chart on the Traffic Safety for All website which shows where there exist policies and laws that limit pretext/secondary stops, and where such proposals are pending. Enjoy your summer! Best, Jill Paperno | 
