Roadside Accidents Kill a Cop a Month

Feb. 9, 2006 — In 2003, Cincinnati police Officer Jerry Enneking's car  was rear-ended at the scene of an accident. When he got out to investigate, he got hit again.

"The car  hit my front fender and then me," Enneking said.

Last fall, Enneking was hit a third time when someone plowed into the back of his car while he was sitting in it. Enneking survived, but many don't.

Roadside crashes killed 120 police officers from 1995 to 2004, an average of one officer every month, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Lara Feinberg, the wife of a North Carolina trooper, founded Families for Roadside Safety after her husband, Hugh, lost his best friend and another colleague in separate roadside accidents.

Feinberg lobbies for "Move Over" laws that require drivers to move over or slow down when they approach police officers on the side of the road. She says 38 states have adopted the laws.

"It gives some space for them to work without being hit," Feinberg said.

Here are some tips on avoiding being part of a roadside accident:
If your car is having trouble or an officer pulls you over, find a safe place to stop.
To communicate with the officer, slow down and put your flashers on so the officer knows you're responding.
Get as far off to the side as you safely can.
AAA recommends carrying flares or reflecting triangles in your trunk so if you break down, you can put them behind your car.

Courtesy:  ABC News