Casper PD Urge Motorists to Practice Mindful, Safe Driving After

A news release from the Casper Police states that law enforcement has responded to more than 50 car crashes in September of 2023.

Two of these crashes involved CPD vehicles, including a K9 Unit. Fortunately, no officers (or K9 partners) were injured
in these incidents. In line with the agency's policy, these crashes are being investigated both internally and externally.

The agency notes, "Traffic accidents happen however, most of these crashes could have been avoided!"

CPD asks the public to be mindful and safe while driving:
IDENTIFY: Defensive drivers scan for any person, vehicle, animal or anything else that could cause them to slow down, speed up or turn. They identify any of these things as CRITICAL OBJECTS.

PREDICT: When defensive drivers identify a critical object, they predict what could happen. They predict the worst. For example: if they identify a person entering a parked car 10 to 15 seconds ahead, they predict that the driver will pull out in front of them without looking.

DECIDE: Decisions are based on what can be done to prevent a crash, and not who is right or who is wrong. Defensive driving means that all responses to a critical object are the result of a decision and not a reaction to an unexpected danger.

EXECUTE: The final step in the IPDE Method of defensive driving is to execute the decision in a smooth, predictable manner and in time to avoid a crash. Driving defensively with IPDE requires that you:

• Scan ahead and to the sides;
• Communicate with other drivers;
• Isolate your vehicle in traffic; and
• Separate risks and compromise space when necessary.