Policy Text
TRAINING BULLETIN
Evaluation Coordinator: Commander
Automatic Revision Cycle: Years
“Department Training Bulletins shall be used to advise members of current police techniques and
procedures and shall constitute official policy.” Index Number: III-U
Alpha Index: Traffic Direction Date of Issue / Revision
26 Jul 00
Directing Traffic
This Training Bulletin outlines techniques for using hand si gnals and other traffic-control devices to direct traffic.
To enhance visibility, absent exigent circumstances, any officer/employee directing or controlling traffic should
wear reflective clothing at all times. During incidents which require more than one officer to di rect traffic, the officer dire cting traffic in the primary
direction shall be in charge. Officers should note, after volunt ary assumption of a duty, an officer is liabl e if his/her failure to exercise due care
increases the risk of harm or if harm is suffered b ecause of another's reliance upon the officer's undertaking
[Westbrooks v. State of CA (Ventura S.O.) 173 Cal. App. 3rd 1203(1985)].
This Training Bulletin is composed of the following sections:
Hand Signals ......................................................................................2 Order a Driver to Stop .............................................................2 Order a Driver to Start .............................................................3
Order a Driver to Keep Moving...............................................3
Order a Driver to Turn Right ...................................................4 Order a Driver to Turn Left .....................................................5
Use of Whistle, Voice and Flashlight ................................................6
Use of Flares, Cones and Barricades and Signs..................................7
Use of Flares............................................................................7
Use of Cones` ..........................................................................8
Use of Barricades and Signs ....................................................8
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Traffic Direction, Index Number III-U
Hand Signals
Order a Driver to Stop
To order a driver to stop his/her vehicle, an officer performs
the steps listed below.
1. Position your body so that one side of your body is toward the traffic to be stopped.
2. Looking at the driver you wish to stop, extend your arm
and point at the driver. See Figure 1.
Figure 1: Looking at the driver you want to stop,
extend your arm and point at the
driver. 3. When the driver sees you point-or has had time to see you
point – raise the hand of your extended arm so your palm
faces the driver in a stop position. See Figure 2.
4. Hold the position described in step three until the vehicle stops.
5. To stop traffic from two oncoming directions in order to allow traffic on a cross street the right of way, hold your
hand in the stop position for the traffic coming from the
first direction and perform steps two and three for the traffic coming from the second direction.
Do not lower either arm until vehicles coming from both directions have stopped. See Figure 3.
6. To stop traffic in multiple la nes from one direction, face
oncoming traffic, extend both arms in front of your body,
and point at both drivers in each lane. Complete steps
three and four.
Figure 2:
Raise the hand of your extended arm so your palm faces the driver in
a stop position.
Figure 3: Having both arms raised, this officer
stops oncoming traffic from two directions.
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26 Jul 00 ● Oakland Police Department
Order a Driver to Start
To order a driver to start his/her vehicle and resume motion,
an officer performs the steps listed below.
1. Position your body so that one side of your body is
toward the traffic you wish to resume motion.
2. Extend your arm, palm skyward, toward the driver you wish to resume motion. See Figure 4.
Hold this position until you get the driver's attention.
3. Keeping your arm extended and bending it at the elbow,
motion the car forward by bringing your hand toward you ear. See Figure 5.
Repeat this step until the driver resumes motion.
4. If you are starting traffic from two directions, drop your
arm after traffic has started from one direction and, using
your other arm, repeat steps two and three to start traffic
from the second direction.
5. To order drivers to resume motion in multiple lanes from
one direction, face oncoming tr affic and extend both arms
with palms skyward toward the drivers you wish to
resume motion.
Hold this position until you get the drivers' attention.
6. Keeping both arms extended and bending at the elbow,
motion the cars forward by bringing your hands up toward your shoulders.
Order a Driver to Keep Moving
To order a driver to keep moving or to encourage a slow or timid driver, an officer repeats the motion described in step
three above, swinging the hand and forearm in the direction
the officer wants the vehicle to travel.
Figure 4:
Extend your arm, palm skyward, toward the
driver you wish to resume motion.
Figure 5:
Bending your arm at the elbow, motion
the car forward.
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Traffic Direction, Index Number III-U
Order a Driver to Turn Right
To order a driver to turn right, an officer performs the steps
listed below.
In most instances, an officer need not signal a driver to make a
right turn because drivers can make this turn on their own. 1. Looking at the driver you wish to direct, extend your arm
and point at the driver.
If the car approaches from the right, point with your right
arm. If the car approaches from the left, point with your
left arm.
Figure 6:
To help a driver approaching from the right
make a right turn, swing your right arm in the direction you want the vehicle to proceed.
Figure 7:
To help a driver approaching from the left