Congressional Black Caucus presses Buttigieg to reform ‘racist traffic enforcement’

More than two dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are urging the Department of Transportation to condemn the “unjust and discriminatory status quo” of traffic enforcement and implement reforms that will reduce racial inequities in traffic stops.

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 27 members of the CBC, including Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Cori Bush (Mo.), Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.), expressed a “grave concern for the wellbeing of Black drivers.”

“On our nation’s roads and highways, Black motorists have experienced disproportionate scrutiny and excessive force under the guise of traffic enforcement,” the lawmakers said. “As Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), we urge you to condemn the status quo of traffic enforcement and develop reforms to reduce racial inequities in traffic stops.”

More than 20 million people are pulled over for traffic violations every year, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Despite Black people being less likely to have access to a vehicle, Black motorists are more likely to be stopped than their white counterparts.

This, the letter argued, is because officers selectively choose to enforce traffic laws against Black drivers more than white drivers.

“For example, the use of racial profiling causes Black drivers to be intentionally stopped for minor traffic violations as pretexts for police to question them and search their vehicles in hopes of discovering contraband,” the lawmakers wrote.

Studies have found that these stops do not consistently uncover contraband or increase public safety.

“Instead, racist traffic enforcement stigmatizes Black people and undermines DOT’s focus on transit equity,” lawmakers said.

Driving while Black, the members added, has become akin to a crime — and can lead to both physical harm and death.

Last year, more than 175 people were killed by police after being stopped for a traffic violation. Though non-fatal injuries are more common, high-profile cases like that of Tyre Nichols, who was allegedly pulled over for reckless driving in Memphis, Tenn., and Philando Castile, who was allegedly stopped for a broken taillight near Minneapolis-St. Paul, have shined a light on how these practices can turn deadly, particularly for Black Americans.

“Historians have traced the roots of policing Black mobility and physical freedom to our nation’s legacy of slavery and bondage of Black bodies,” the letter said. “It is critical that the Department of Transportation recognizes the social context of traffic enforcement disparities and identifies solutions to redress the harms.”

One solution, the CBC said, is to direct funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create reforms such as eliminating financial barriers to vehicle registration and upgrading traffic lights.

Meanwhile, the letter said, Virginia, Oregon and Philadelphia have made minor traffic infractions — such as a missing taillight — no longer the purview of police officers.

“Traffic safety should not come at the expense of the dignity and safety of the Black community. The status quo of inequitable traffic enforcement is the product of racist policies, outdated infrastructure, and limited oversight,” the letter concluded.

The Hill has reached out to Buttigieg’s office.

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