OCALA, FL (352today.com)—The Ocala Police Department (OPD), led by Chief Mike Balken, has had a busy year on the streets.

“If the current trend continues, we’ll average around 24 to 25 thousand traffic stops this year,” says Balken.

While the number reflects OPD’s attention to detail, it also highlights two troubling trends affecting roadway safety.

Distracted Driving

“I’ve stopped cars myself where you have the driver on their cellphone, eating a bagel, and applying makeup all while driving with their knees,” says Balken. “In the end, we know that distracted driving is extremely dangerous and fatal.”

The problem isn’t just with the public – technology in patrol cars, like laptops, also poses risks.

“We’ve gone from a radio in the car to a laptop designed to make the officer’s job more effective, but in the end, there’s a limit to what a person can handle while operating a 3000-pound vehicle safely,” says Balken. “It’s a balancing act; we don’t want to restrict those tools that make our officers so effective, but we also don’t want to hurt somebody else, or themselves, due to distracted driving.”

Balken has made it a priority to educate drivers on the dangers of distracted driving. He cites social media and traffic stop conversations as ways OPD reaches the community.

“It’s our job to educate drivers on the street who are distracted and remind them that if they drive distracted, they could kill someone,” he says.

He also believes state laws must tighten.

“Drivers can still access your phone to use maps, for instance. The minute you allow those caveats, it’s very difficult for officers to develop probable cause to make a stop,” says Balken. “I’d love to see legislation at the state level move to a completely hands-free law where it’s just illegal to pick up a mobile device when driving.”

Autonomous Vehicles

Concerns around autonomous vehicles are a major reason behind Balken’s call for a hands-free law.

He says officers must have the tech tools – and legal support – needed to interact with these vehicles.

“I think autonomous driving is an extremely complicated topic that the legislature must evaluate as technology moves forward and unfolds,” says Balken. “With autonomous vehicles, I think about semi trucks and fuel tankers that are operated driverless… now we risk these vehicles being hacked and becoming a rolling weapon that can be used in an attack or a terrorist threat. We’re gonna have to stay on top of technology that’ll have to be made available, purchased, and procured to aid our officers in being able to interact with an autonomous vehicle.”

Balken also questions how autonomous vehicles respond to police commands.

“I think about an officer working a crash and trying to direct vehicles around a dangerous area, especially if there’s a fuel leak or a downed powerline,” says Balken. “How does an officer communicate with that autonomous vehicle information not built into its mapping system?”

Balken says drivers must be accountable for their autonomous vehicles.

While he sees risks, he also sees promise.

“These autonomous vehicles can end up being the silver bullet that we need to drastically decrease traffic crashes across the board and ultimately save lives, which is our number one goal” he says.

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