SALT LAKE CITY — Police chases nationwide result in nearly a death a day according to a recent report by the USA TODAY.
Between 1976 and 2013, police chases led to over 11,000 fatalities, with more than 5,000 of them being innocent bystanders or non-offending passengers.
“Police across the USA chase tens of thousands of people each year — usually for traffic violations or misdemeanors — often causing drivers to speed away recklessly. Recent cases show the danger of the longstanding police practice of chasing minor offenders,” writes Thomas Frank in the report by USA TODAY that details the deadly statistics of police chases using information from the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and various state traffic departments.
According to the report, 11,066 people have died as results of high-speed pursuits from 1976 to 2013. Of that, 6,301 have been the suspected driver of the vehicle, 139 police officers, and 5,066 passengers or bystanders.
While police chases "have killed nearly as many people as justifiable police shootings…[police chases] have escaped the national attention paid to other potentially lethal police tactics," Frank said.
Incomplete record keeping in many states has led to "uncertainty about the death and injury tolls," he added, which has led many to overlook the danger of police chases.
Major police agencies throughout the country have begun cracking down and enforcing stricter rules for when an officer can and cannot engage in high-speed chases, according to the report. It also notes that many departments still allow their officers to use their own discretion.
Read the full report at the USA TODAY.
Freeman Stevenson is a staff writer for DeseretNews.com