Dear Department Leader, 

Thank you for taking time to discuss the importance of driving and spatial awareness for law enforcement officers. The following page will guide you and your officers in discussing the need for spatial awareness while operating an emergency vehicle/squad car. 

Spatial awareness is the ability to see and understand where you are in relation to objects and where objects are in relation to each other.  It also involves understanding the relationship of objects when there is a change in position.  While spatial awareness is a cognitive skill that we typically develop during early childhood, it is also a critical skill when it comes to driving a vehicle.

Police officers utilize spatial awareness every day as they position and orientate themselves in the community they serve.  Spatial awareness helps officers do things like find their way to their next call, merge in traffic, navigate driving through treacherous weather conditions, and more. Additional tasks that require spatial awareness include:

• Scanning for hazards
• Observing the vehicle in front of you and keeping your distance
• Awareness of oncoming intersections
• Responding to mistakes of others on the road, attributed to their lack of ability
• Geographical orientation

Without spatial awareness, officers run the risk of endangering themselves, their colleagues, and the public.  Remind your officers of the importance of spatial awareness when driving.  

Roll Call Reminder

This Roll Call Reminder discusses the importance of spatial awareness while driving.  The intent is to have a department leader or designated team member read the reminder aloud to the team.  After hearing the message, work together to answer and respond to the questions that follow.  To conclude the conversation, it is important that you acknowledge the need for spatial awareness and commit to focusing on this critical skill whenever operating your patrol car.  
 

Welcome Law Enforcement Officers,

Spatial awareness is the ability to see and understand where you are in relation to objects and where objects are in relation to each other.  It also involves understanding the relationship of objects when there is a change in position.  While spatial awareness is a cognitive skill that we typically develop during early childhood, it is also a critical skill when it comes to driving a vehicle.

As a police officer, you must stay alert and consistently check your surrounding environment.  You cannot step into your department vehicle and navigate the roadway safely without being aware of what is around you.  Spatial awareness tells you information about where you are, how many people are around you, what you are looking at, and which direction you should go.  Without spatial awareness, you run the risk of endangering yourself, your colleagues, and the public.  

• What are some of the dangers of having a poor sense of spatial awareness?
• What are some common driving tasks that require spatial awareness?
• How can you practice and improve your skills in this area?

Maintaining your sense of spatial awareness while driving your department vehicle can help you to focus on driving, increase your awareness of your surroundings, and improve your decision-making.  Remember to scan the environment constantly while you are driving, utilizing spatial awareness to understand your position in relation to the people and objects around you.