Safety and Other Impacts of Vehicle Impound Enforcement

California vehicle impound law took affect on January 1, 1995. The law allows a police officer to seize a vehicle operated by a person whose license is suspended or revoked or who has never been issued a license. The seized vehicle shall then be impounded for 30 days. In California, a driver must be stopped for some other infraction before his/her license can be checked. The City of Upland, located in western San Bernardino County, has a population of 67,453 residing in a 15.2 square-mile area. The city’s 169 miles of roadways support about 600,000 vehicle-miles of travel daily. Upland Police Department implemented a vehicle impound program in January 1995 as part of its overall traffic enforcement. The number of impounded vehicles in Upland grew significantly from about 20 per month initially to about 130 per month at its peak. The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the impact of Upland's vehicle impound program on traffic safety (crashes and on-the-road behavior) and police department resources and operations.