In response to pressures to increase efficiency, about one-third of police forces in England have devolved responsibility for traffic policing to territorial divisions. This decentralized approach contrasts with the traditional approach to traffic policing in which main elements include concentration of authority, decisionmaking, and resources into a traffic division headquarters and the specialization of traffic as a policing function. To investigate the relative merits of devolved versus centralized traffic policing management, six police forces were studied using interviews, observations, and a questionnaire survey. Over 1,000 police officers of all ranks participated, along with 2,000 drivers who provided information about their attitudes toward local traffic policing. Findings indicated that centralized control of resources and strategies was preferred for effective traffic policing. It was clear that, at least in the short term, a move to devolved traffic management caused real problems for police officers. Steps that can be taken to ensure effective traffic policing are discussed, with particular emphasis on the police-community relationship, driver education, police patrol tactics, communication and coordination between supervisors and police officers, and officer morale. 2 references