99% Invisible

Policing the Open Road

Aug 11, 2020

Sarah Seo, a Columbia Law School professor and author of "Policing the Open Road," dives into the intricate relationship between traffic enforcement and systemic injustice. She explores how the rise of automobile culture transformed policing, with an emphasis on the chilling case of Sandra Bland. Seo discusses the Fourth Amendment's narrow interpretations, leading to racial disparities in traffic stops. The episode also presents bold ideas for rethinking traffic enforcement, advocating for unarmed personnel and community-centered approaches to improve road safety.

37:55

Creator website

Episode guests

Sarah Seo

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Policing and the Rise of Automobile Culture

15min

The Complexities of the Fourth Amendment

7min

Power Dynamics and Policing in Traffic Enforcement

2min

Rethinking Traffic Enforcement

5min

Rethinking Traffic Enforcement

8min

Policing and Urban Planning: Navigating the Open Road

3min

Before the twentieth century, most Americans rarely came into contact with police officers. But with more and more drivers behind the wheel, police departments rapidly expanded their forces and increased officers’ authority to stop citizens who violated traffic laws. The Fourth Amendment—the constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures—did not effectively shield individuals from government intrusion while driving. Instead, jurists interpreted the amendment narrowly. In a society dependent on cars, everyone (the law-breaking and law-abiding alike) would be subject to discretionary policing. Sarah Seo's remarkable book Policing the Open Road shows how procedures designed to safeguard us on the road actually undermined the nation’s commitment to equal protection before the law.

Policing the Open Road

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