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Characteristics of Drivers Stopped by Police, 1999

NCJ Number
191548
Author(s)
Erica Leah Schmitt; Patrick A. Langan Ph.D.; Matthew R. Durose
Date Published
March 2002
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study provides data on the nature and characteristics of traffic stops, as collected in the 1999 Police-Public Contact Survey.
Abstract

Provides data on the nature and characteristics of traffic stops, as collected in the 1999 Police-Public Contact Survey. Tables present detailed demographic characteristics of the 19.3 million drivers stopped by police in 1999. Drivers stopped one time over a 12-month period and drivers stopped two or more times are compared across categories of gender, age, and race/ethnicity. The report also examines driver responses regarding the traffic stop, speeding, searches conducted by police, arrest, and use of force.

  • Males (70.3%) stopped for speeding were more likely to be ticketed than females (66.5%).
  • Approximately 422,000 persons age 16 or older said the police used or threatened to use force against them at least once during 1999.
  • In 1999, 6.6% of traffic stops involved a search of the driver, the vehicle, or both.