Makes sense that they would patrol as much from a safety standpoint as deaths have dropped.
With over 3 trillion miles driven last year, about 3,000 deaths were on highways with speed as a contributing factor. 1 death per billion miles driven. And that counts people not wearing seat belts and drunks.
I always figured it was primarily a revenue generator.
Having tried to navigate Arizona on a bicycle trek, and engaging with many people at street level, my anecdotal evidence would say you are correct. A much higher concentration among the white, conservative menfolk IMHO.
Particularly disturbing incident: When asking a police officer about the safest route west through to the highway routes on the other side of town, was given directions that would take me directly into the desert. Probably his way of eliminating the homeless.
Whole lotta potential for observer/selection bias here. That is, consider all those uncaught, because they’re much more believable, dummies which we aren’t giggling about here. (“hmm, what ‘industry’ makes some of the most creepy accurate false humans?” hey, why ask me!?)