An officer who stops a car containing evidence of the commission of a serious crime risks a violent confrontation, even if the vehicle was stopped only for a traffic violation.

When the public becomes aware that traffic enforcement has lessened, it typically becomes lax in obeying traffic rules.

Those willing to break the law to commit serious crimes are often in committing such crimes unwilling to observe what they regard as the lesser constraints of traffic law.

The offenders committing serious crimes who would be caught because of traffic violations are not the same group of individuals as those who would be caught if the arresting officers were reassigned from traffic enforcement.

The great majority of persons who are stopped by officers for traffic violations are not guilty of any serious crimes.